Saturday, August 08, 2009

GUESS HOW MANY 100-YEAR OLDS THERE ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN 2050?






The Wellness and Memory Class at FAU shows and tells how to increase your life span, and that includes dancing, lack of stress, proper eating and other factors. Your editor recently attended this very informative course and highly recommends it. For more information contact Anna Lisa Curtis at brainsgain@aol.com.

A 10-month pilot program conducted by AARP in Minnesota includes getting around the city by bike or foot, developing social networks and providing healthier fast-food options, to extend the life span of residents by 2 years.

New medical advances, improved diets and aggressive medical treatments are changing the definition of “old”. By midcentury, the projection is that the world’s population of centenarians may reach nearly 6,000,000 creating a median age of 50 in many developed nations, with the Census Bureau reporting there are now 340,000 centenarians worldwide.

New needs will be created, such as more nursing homes, assisted living facilities and special needs housing. Reconsideration will be needed to reevaluate retirement benefits, for the age limits on driving, and perhaps a revamping of Medicare coverage, which is already straining. With declining birth rates, fewer family members will be there to provide support for a sick elderly parent. Consider this: in 2017 there will be more 65-year olds than children under the age of 5. Obesity in the US from a sedentary life or overeating can take a toll on life expectancy.

If the new health care plan passes, how will it affect the life spans predicted above?

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