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Essay on Physical Changes Associated with the Aging Process
In a sense, psychology outwits reality, including biology. We human beings are outfitted with a remarkable psychological sense of self protection and self-repair. Strategies of psychological resilience are among our best abilities. For instance, as older adults experience major illnesses with increased frequency, they compare themselves with others who have experienced similar or even worse illnesses. Moreover, we view others as worse off, thereby elevating our own standing in comparison (Brim, 1992).
As more people reach a 'ripe old age' they also enter a period in their lives when they are at higher risk of developing chronic diseases, which in turn may result in disability. In fact, chronic diseases including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer are predicted to be the main contributors to the burden of disease in developing countries by 2020. Infectious diseases – although declining – will continue to add to the burden of disease in those regions. It is projected that in many countries with fertility rates below replacement level, the proportion of older people is expected to exceed the proportion of the very young (aged up to 19 years) by 2050. However, there is mounting evidence from developed countries that people are maintaining better health in later life than ever before. It is estimated that in 1996, there were 1.4 million fewer disabled older persons in the USA, than would have been expected if the health status of older people had not improved since the early 1980s .
Social perceptions of the value and benefits of old age vary in different cultures. Non-western cultures don't always take such a dim, negative view of aging and older people. For example, in many African and Asian countries, words which describe older people characterize elders as 'someone with knowledge'. It is important to recognize that aging is not an affliction but a great opportunity to make use of resources acquired over the life course.....
