Kathleen Stassen Berger Prepared by Madeleine Lacefield Tattoon, M.A. 1 Part VII Adulthood: Biosocial Development Chapter Twenty The Aging Process The Impact of Poor Health Habits Measuring Health Variations in Aging

2 Adulthood: Biosocial Development Age matters… How old are you? Do you feel your age?

3 The Aging Process Senescence –a gradual physical decline related to aging… happens to everyone in every body part but the rate of decline is highly variable

4 The Aging Process Physical Appearance –outward signs of senescence are present long before old age arrives first visual in the skin hair turns gray and get thinner skin becomes drier “middle-age spread” people get shorter muscles weaken

5 The Aging Process Senescence varies from organ to organ –the five senses become less sharp…each organ loses some functions faster than others –changes in eyesight is the most obvious –losses occur in hearing occur

6 The Aging Process The Aging Brain –the brain slows down with age –neurons fire more slowly and messages sent from the axon of one neuron are not picked up as quickly by the dendrites of another neuron –multitasking is more difficult

7 The Aging Process The Sexual-Reproductive System –is slower and fertility is reduced with age, but adults of all ages enjoy “very high levels of emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure from sex within their relationships”

8 The Aging Process Infertility –2% of healthy couples in their earlier 20s, in medically advanced nation, are infertile –33% of 30 year-olds in poor nations are infertile –the highest rate of infertility occurs in countries with the highest birth rates, due in part to the lack of contraception and the high incident of untreated sexually transmitted diseases

9 The Aging Process Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) –the collective name for the various methods of medical intervention that can help infertile couples have children In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) –a technique in which ova are surgically removed from a woman and fertilized with sperm in the laboratory… after dividing several times, they are reinserted into a woman's uterus.

10 The Aging Process Menopause –the time in middle age, usually around age 50, when a woman’s menstrual periods cease completely and the production of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone drops considerably –strictly speaking, menopause is dated one year after a women’s last menstrual period

11 The Aging Process Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) treatment to compensate for hormone reduction at menopause or following surgical removal of the ovaries usually involves estrogen and progesterone, minimizes menopausal symptoms and diminishes the risk of osteoporosis in later adulthood

12 The Aging Process Andropause a term coined to signify a drop in testosterone levels in older men, which normally results in reduced sexual desire, erections, and muscle mass also know as male menopause

13 The Impact of Poor Health Habits “Almost all diseases and chronic conditions that are normally associated with aging (arthritis to strokes) are powerfully affected by the routines of daily life”.

14 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Tobacco in all its forms contains harmful drugs nicotine is the most addictive fewer people are starting to smoke many quit by late adulthood death from lung cancer is down by 20% from

15 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Alcohol –adults who drink alcohol in moderation (no more than two moderate-sized drinks a day) live longer than those who never drink –moderate drinking is related to a reduction in coronary heart disease –increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the" good” cholesterol and reduces low-density lipoprotein, the “bad” cholesterol that causes clogged arteries and blood clots

16 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Lack of Exercise –adults exercise less as they age –low exercise rates are blamed… lack of commitment lack of support in the immediate social context community’s failure to provide appropriate facilities

17 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Overeating –too much eating combined with too little activity

18 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Resistance to Good Nutrition –misinterpreting scientific research –high-fat diets –heavy drinking and smoking

19 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Obesity –the leading cause of premature adult death –a worldwide epidemic, followed by diabetes –U.S. the global leader in obesity and diabetes

20 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Obesity –in late adulthood, few people are obese thinner ones are more likely to survive older people eat less the current cohort have always been thinner older people are more protective of their health

21 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Obesity –additional reasons… genes - regulating hunger, metabolism, and fat accumulation parental attitudes and practices - children are taught to overeat environment – modern cultures encourage overeating

22 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Obesity –weight-loss drugs urge caution Phen-fen was found to increase the risk of heart disease commercial diet drugs are additive and ineffective over time other drugs upset the stomach –surgery gastric bypass surgery which permanently alters the anatomy of the digestive system death can occur

23 The Impact of Poor Health Habits Preventive Medicine “The damage and death caused by tobacco, alcohol, and obesity make it obvious that prevention is less risky than treatment.” –prevention involves choices people make –preventive screening and medical measures are helpful –social measures that protect against harm and help those who suffer from trauma

24 Measuring Health Mortality –usually refers to the number of deaths each year per 1,000 members of a given population Morbidity –refers to the rate of disease of all kinds in a given population—physical and emotional, acute (sudden) and chronic (ongoing)

25 Measuring Health Disability –long-term difficulty in performing normal activities of daily life because of some physical, mental, or emotional condition Vitality –a measure of health that refers to how healthy and energetic—physically, intellectually, and socially—an individual actually feels

26 Variations in Aging rates of aging vary, but they are not random… –gender –genes –ethnicity –income –education –location –lifestyle –culture …speed up some aspects of senescence and slow down others

27 Variations in Aging Gender Differences –senescence affects women more than men small, superficial signs of aging, changes in skin, hair, weight, are of more concern to women women age slowly, females live longer worldwide

28 Variations in Aging Socioeconomic Status (SES) –well-educated, financially secure people live longer –avoid chronic illness and disability –feel healthier than the average person of their age, sex and ethnicity