When does ‘old age’ actually begin? Seniors think 75 is the new 65

BERLIN — Do we get older later in life? People fear the idea of ​​getting older, but a new study from an international team of researchers shows that the definition of ‘old age’ is changing. Compared to previous generations, people now consider themselves ‘old’ only at a later age.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers from Germany and the United States and published in the journal Psychology and aginganalyzed data from more than 14,000 people born between 1911 and 1974 who participated in the ongoing German aging survey. Participants were asked a simple question: “At what age would you describe someone as old?”

According to the team’s findings, people in their mid-60s believe that ‘old age’ begins around age 75. However, this perception varied considerably between different generations or ‘birth cohorts’. People born later, especially those born after 1935, tended to shift the age at which they considered someone old. In other words, the threshold for being considered “old” has shifted upward over time.

“Life expectancy has increased, which could contribute to later observed old age. In addition, some aspects of health have improved over time, such that people of a certain age who were considered old in the past are no longer considered old today,” says study author Dr. Markus Wettstein of Humboldt University in Germany in a media report. Edition.

Several factors are driving this change in the perspective of ‘old age’. As people live longer, the goal post for what is considered old is naturally being moved further out. Changes in the retirement age can also have consequences. In Germany, the retirement age has been gradually increased from 65 to 67 in 2031. If people continue to work longer, it is logical that they will only consider themselves ‘old’ later.

What piqued researchers’ interest is that they found that the trend of delaying old age has accelerated in recent decades, but may now be reaching a plateau. Although people born between 1911-1935 and 1936-1951 had very different views on the onset of old age, there was little difference between the 1936-1951 cohort and those born in 1952-1974. They speculate that this could be due to a slowdown in the increase in life expectancy.

“The trend toward delaying old age is not linear and may not necessarily continue in the future,” notes Dr. Wettstein op.

The research also revealed some interesting demographic differences. On average, women assumed that old age started two and a half years later than men. This gender gap has widened among younger generations. People living in the former East Germany who had a lower life expectancy tended to live longer than their West German counterparts. Feeling lonely, having more chronic diseases and poorer health were also linked to earlier aging.

So why does it matter when we consider the onset of old age? Our perception can actually have a real impact on health and well-being. Previous studies have shown that people who believe that old age begins later tend to have better health and a lower risk of heart and other diseases. Conversely, experiencing the onset of old age as more likely to be associated with poorer health outcomes.

Researchers warn that putting off ‘old age’ too far into the future could have a counterproductive effect by making people complacent about preparing for the challenges that aging brings. There may be an optimal middle ground when it comes to health and wellness.

The findings also underline how our concepts of aging are shaped not only by individual characteristics, but also by the social and historical context in which we live. As life expectancy has increased and health in later life has generally improved, outdated views of what it means to be “old” have been revised.

“It is unclear to what extent the trend towards delaying old age reflects a trend towards more positive views on older people and aging, or rather the opposite – perhaps the onset of old age is delayed because people view old age as an undesirable condition consider. ”explains Dr. Wettstein out.

Of course, growing older is a highly individual experience, and there is no universally “right” age to consider yourself old. The fact that people are pushing back the onset of old age could reflect a positive shift toward a more nuanced, less stereotypical view of aging. At the same time, the research reminds us that our perceptions don’t change reality — we still need to plan for the unique challenges and joys that come with growing older as we consider that journey to begin. Ultimately, the message might be that we should focus less on defining “old” and more on living well at any age.

Matt Higgins of StudyFinds contributed to this report.