Healthy aging is a new norm researchers say with older adults having a new name and attitude Credit The Fountain of Youth may still be a myth but a longer life expectancy is now a reality In fact life expectancy at birth in the US has risen by more than 30 years in barely more than a century to a current 786 years But with the increased life expectancy a question arises How do people stay healthy as they age A new concept of healthy aging has emerged In fact some are using a new word for aging baby boomers perennnials to describe people who want to live an active blossoming life into old age What is healthy aging As members of the Healthy Aging Research Network we have been researching factors affecting how long Americans will live ways to stay as healthy as possible and how best to make extended years quality years Taking a comprehensive view we defined healthy aging as the development and maintenance of optimal physical mental cognitive and emotional spiritual and social well-being and function in older adults But achieving this is something different altogether Shifting demographics shifting views We now know many of the interacting factors influencing healthy aging ones genetic makeup cellular biology lifestyle behaviors personal perspectives about aging social engagement and environment and realize the importance of viewing aging as the culmination of all these factors Despite the accumulation of chronic diseases such as arthritis dementia heart disease diabetes or cancer aging is not a disease but rather a lifelong process that occurs from birth to death Social and behavioral determinants are often stronger predictors of premature death than ones biology or health care Yet there are fundamental questions about what aging means in the US and abroad This is important to consider as stereotypical views of aging can be health hazards themselves as research has shown that holding negative perceptions of aging can cut 75 years from ones life In the early 1900s US life expectancy at birth was under 50 years of age and only a very small percentage of Americans lived to age 65 As a result people did not expect to live to an old age and the concept of healthy aging was unthinkable Few people including older adults health care professionals or policymakers could imagine the costs of aging with chronic conditions for individuals and society Now aging is a global phenomenon with 962 million people 60 years and older around the world including about 78 million North Americans With average life expectancies hovering around 80 and the possibility of living to 125 on the horizon there is more attention to the contributors and consequences of living into ones 80s 90s 100s and beyond Population aging older persons comprising an increasingly larger share of the population is becoming the new normal throughout the world This is resulting in the debunking of some stereotypes about global aging as a phenomenon only occurring in the most developed countries Although Japan and European countries have the highest percentages of older people rates of population aging are actually higher in many developing regions such as Asia Africa and Latin America and have huge implications for the welfare of older populations With rapid globalization and urbanization families are often more mobile social support networks are breaking down health care systems are inadequate and older people are often left in remote villages to fend for themselves or care for young children left behind On the positive side we in the US can learn from how some countries are successfully dealing with their aging populations and age-related conditions by considering all in community approaches such as dementia-friendly communities Ageism rampant Despite the increased proportion of older people in our society many people still hold stereotypical views of aging and view seniors as less capable Often the images they hold depict aging as synonymous with frailty loneliness and poverty Similarly depictions of super-aging such as 90-year-olds running marathons reflect extreme cases that are not necessarily the reality for most people in their 80s 90s or 100s the age groups increasing most rapidly Healthy aging does not mean everyone needs to be at peak performance on every dimension rather it means everyone should live life to the fullest Foremost it is important to combat ageism in all its forms requiring a shift in our thinking and policies away from negative aging stereotypes Recognizing aging as a societal and individual concern it is important to identify concrete actions at all levels that can make a difference For grand-scale change we believe that multiple sectors aging services public health and health care and policymakers health care professionals families and older people themselves can take action We believe there needs to be more public support enabling the growing number of perennials to engage in the well-documented keys to healthy aging These include having a positive attitude toward aging being physically active having access to healthy foods being socially connected and living in safe communities Toward this end several aging advocacy groups have banded together to create a campaign to reframe or disrupt aging stressing its positive aspects but also recognizing the realities of some age-related changes such as declines in sensory abilities and chronic conditions A crucial factor is rethinking the role of older people in society and having meaningful roles throughout ones life whether paid or unpaid We need to combat ageist views that make it difficult for older workers to maintain high-paying jobs or find new ones if they find themselves unemployed As researchers we have seen the positive impact of evidence-based programs for chronic disease self-management physical activity falls prevention and lifestyle enhancement for promoting health and independence The challenge isnt going away By 2050 there will be more than 2 billion older people globally By 2035 there will be more adults 65 and older than children under the age of 18 in the US This unprecedented transformation can bring about doom-and-gloom projections While these numbers are game-changing aging demographics do not need to be destiny Such projections can also serve as a catalyst to action to create a society that values older people fosters social and physical environments that are supportive for healthy aging encourages intergenerational commonalities over intergenerational conflicts and emboldens older people to take charge of their own health However this requires a commitment to programs and services that help older people maintain their health and functioning We want to envision a world where intimate relationships would be seen as natural at any age most falls are preventable technology is omnipresent to extend older adults health and well-being and caregivers have support to maintain their valuable roles Most importantly we believe it is best for society as a whole if perennnials do indeed remain in vibrant productive roles whether at home in the community or at work