First some statistics: About 40 million Americans are 65 and older. That is about one in eight people; by 2050 one in five Americans will be 65 and older or 20% of the population.
What the survey found is that there is a gap between actual age and the age that people say they feel. The older people are, the younger they feel. As reported in the NY Times, the survey found that most adults over 50 feel at least 10 years younger than their actual age. One third of people between 65 and 74 felt 19 years younger and one-sixth of people 75 and older said they felt 20 years younger.
So when does old age begin? On the average, people thought that old age begins at 68, but not surprisingly, peoples’ responses depended on their ages. People under 30 said that 60 is the start of old age. People over 65 thought that old age begins at 75. The researcher concluded that people think that old age is always a little bit older than you are!
Here at CogniFit, we’ve always maintained that old age is all in your mind. Keeping your brain young can keep you young as well.
