COMMENT:
Life begins at 40, and for many people hitting that magic middle-age four zero number is no longer a millstone but a springboard into the next stage of life.
Today, people in their 40s and beyond are looking and feeling better than ever before and only part of that is down to Botox. Although they may feel good, 40-somethings increased sense of wellness may actually be a hindrance to their health in the long run. New research out this week found that when middle-aged people who considered themselves to be healthy with no need to visit a doctor were given a health WoF, all of them failed at least one of the health categories and showed early onset symptoms of issues that could become much more serious in later life.
Healthy ageing is the process of keeping an optimum level of physical, mental and emotional function that allows us to have wellbeing as we age. The Government has committed $35 million towards maintaining health and wellbeing for New Zealanders into the latter years of life through the 10-year Ageing Well National Science Challenge. The goal is for the research generated to influence policy and practice to support ageing well for all of us through our lifetimes. What isn't clear is at what point in time does "ageing" occur and when should we start worrying about age-related changes to our bodies. The truth is that most of us only go to the doctor when we are unwell or when symptoms have become severe enough to restrict us in some way. This trend of waiting until things are bad enough to see a doctor means that early symptoms of decline are missed and preventative treatments for more serious issues may no longer be applicable.
To look into the age at which this bodily decline may occur, researchers studied 561 adults classed as middle-aged (40-59 years) and young-old people (50-75 years) to see if early physiological and functional changes related to their health were detectable.