What is aging?
Aging, from a biological point of view, is defined as the sum of all the changes that occur in an organism over time and that lead to the loss of its functional abilities.
Easier said:
Aging is changing from this
<<<
To this >>>
After, of course, going through this phase below
in a period of time that lasts, so roughly, ALL YOUR LIFE.
It can be considered that aging begins when somatic development ends, (being somatic development the same as the development of our body) but this is relative. For example, an elite soccer player can be said to be old at the age of 35, but a regular builder doesn’t consider himself old until the age of 60 or 65.
From Philosophyium we believe that aging is a biological fact that WILL HAPPEN TO EVERYONE, but we think that aging has also its psychological side. For you to understand us: no matter how many wrinkles and gray hairs an 85-year-old woman has, she will only feel old because of her physical appearance (determined by her genes), but she can perfectly feel as if she was 40 if she’s, for example, going to dancing classes every Wednesday. In this way and with this simple distraction, her brain will end up interpreting that gray hair as a good thing, since her body and soul are still happy. To sum up: WE HAVE TO BE HAPPY ABOUT AGING AND GETTING OLDER BECAUSE ALL THOSE WRINKLES ARE ONLY HISTORICAL SIGNS OF OUR EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS THROUGH LIFE. AND THAT IS AMAZING!
How does our body age?
In all our research, we have found that there are some authors who believe that only those cells in our body that have ALREADY lost their ability to divide are the ones which actually age. However, we have found a rather curious curiosity (it was funny for us to use this expression, please don't kill us). It turns out that there is a man who does not think the same.
Leonard Hayflick, who was an anatomy professor at UCSF School of Medicine, professor of medical microbiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, former president of the Gerontology Society of America and founding member of the National Council Institute on Aging (lets just say he did quite a few things in his life), said that the number of cell divisions is genetically determined.
Hayflick defined a ‘thing’ called the Hayflick limit. This work emerges as an explanation of the causes of aging. Dr. Hayflick argued that the number of times human cells could divide was limited. After this, and for the first time, science turned its attention to cell growth in order to explain aging and the changes that appear with it, and for the first time a distinction was made between cells that could ‘die’ and immortal cells, the basic distinction of a large number of cancer research papers.
The different types of aging.
From Philosophyium where, we emphasize, we are no experts but we simply want to entertain, inform and learn, we have thought of a special classification for aging. Exactly, readers, there are several types of aging.
PRIMARY AGING.
It refers to the actual physiological aging (that one of our own body, for us to understand). These are the changes that happen and will happen to ALL OF US as the years go by. These changes affect the general functioning of our cells, tissues and organs, as well as our systems, and they happen during adulthood, but they are more noticeable on people who are not in good health (because of course, we are more interested in staying on our sofa watching Big Brother with a chocolate bun rather than going of a walk, right? SO LET’S GO! EVERYBODY UP AND OUT TO THE STREET... after the quarantine, okay, let's be legal).
Lastly, it's important for you to know that this first type of aging is genetically programmed.
SECONDARY AGING.
This one involves all those changes caused by our behavior (that is, our lifestyle) and the environment in which we live. These have nothing to do with our genes and biological processes. However, this type of aging has SOMETHING POSITIVE in it and it’s that it can be avoided-ish. This happens if, for example, we maintain a healthy diet and we exercise while we are young but also afterwards (so come on, everyone AT THE GYM like her)
THIRD TYPE OF AGING.
This one involves all those changes and losses (especially in the cognitive and psychological fields) that occur shortly before death.
But of course, there is no specific stage in our life in which we can say 100% that we are, for example, going through secondary aging. This is not like the puberty, folks. No. And Birren and Cunninghan's waterfall model explains it very well. This aging model describes that the three types of aging that we have described before actually interact with each other, in such a way that the effects of one influence the effects of the other two and vice versa.
What does the World Health Organization have to say about aging?
Let us share with you that the WHO has a very curious and interesting way of looking at the process of aging, and it sustains something with which, from Philosophyium we really agree on and is the reason why we’ve created this blog. That is, the HEALTHY AGING.
The WHO defines this (for us) new term as the process of development and maintenance of functional capacities that allow well-being in old age, being functional capacities those that allow everyone to be and to do what we value throughout our lives.
In order for us all to enjoy this healthy aging, we need a healthy and friendly environment, we need a good health sector (which, by the way, we take our hats off with the one in Spain), we also need a safe home, a job, the support and love from our family and friends, social protection, etc. In addition to this, from Philosophyium we want to encourage everyone (children, young people, not so young ones, grandparents and grandmothers) to exercise daily, to take care of your minds, meditate, eat healthy (although we are not going to deny that a hamburger with its ketchup and mayonnaise once a week is not a bad idea either), do not smoke and drink alcohol in a moderate way (and only if you are of legal age, okay?!).
At Philosophyium we want to transmit a very clear message about old age: AGING, BECOMING ELDER, IS NOT ANY DISEASE, and the sooner we change our way of seeing aging, the more we will enjoy it and the happier we will be. Below (passing the section on Curiosities about grandparents) we will let you check out and read several interviews with Philosophyium’s readers in which we have been interested in knowing, among other things, how they cope with the much-feared AGE TOPIC.
CURIOSITIES ABOUT THE AGE: WE HAVE A NATIONAL GRANDPARENTS' DAY!
Since 1998, the NGO Messengers of Peace has celebrated Grandfather's Day every July 26th. The organization understands that, in cases where parents cannot provide adequate care for their children, grandparents assume the role of guardian. In addition, In Christian culture countries, July 26th.
Below, from Philosophyium we have elaborated a chart with almost all Grandparents' day worldwide. Check it out!
| COUNTRY | DATE |
|---|---|
| Argentina | In addition to celebrating grandparents on July, the 26th, this country also celebrates 'Grandmothers' Day' on the third Sunday of August. |
| Bolivia | This country celebrates the 'Day of the Elderly' on Agust, 22nd. |
| Chile | People from Chile celebrates two different days for the elders: The Day of the Elderly on October, 1st, and the National Day of the Granfather and the Grandmother, on October, 15th. |
| Colombia | They celebrate on August, 16th |
| Costa Rica | They celebrate on October, 1st |
| Ecuador | They celebrate this spectacular day on Ocotber, the 31st |
| Honduras | This country celebrates the National Day of the Granmothers and Granfathers the last Sunday of August; however, many of its citizens also celebrate grandparents on July, 26th |
| United Stated of America | They celebrate this day on the first Sunday after Labor Day |
| Canada | Celebrates the National Grandparets' Day on the second Sunday of September. |
| France | French people celebrate Grandmothers' Day since 1987 the first Sunday of March |
| Italy | They celebrate on October, 2nd. |
We interviewed our readers...
Irene, 80 years old, from Torrevieja.
1. Irene, what do you understand by 'aging'?
-- Well, I think aging is just another of the beautiful phases of our lives, which are all so precious and marvelous. I love them all.
2. Irene, how do you feel when someone asks you your age? Do you feel, maybe, ashamed or mad?
-- What?!?! Absolutely not! In fact, you know what? I tend to say I'm a couple of years older so that the person who asked me can surprise themselves with how young I look.
3. How do you feel when people guess wrong your age and they give you a lower age of the one that you are?
-- You know what, I hate when people say a younger age rather than my actual one because they make me unnecessary illusions.
4. Irene, do you feel pretty even though you may have wrinkles or gray hair?
-- ¡Well, of course I feel pretty! Those wrinkles just symbolize that I have lived a lot of experiences, and they are so beautiful.
5. Do you think that cosmetic brands transmit a negative thinking about aging just to be able to promote the purchase of their anti-aging products?
-- Obviously, and that is not okay. Listen, once your wrinkles are out, you can cover them with anything, trust me.
Nina, 44 years old, from Madrid.
1. Nina, what do you understand by 'aging'?
-- I think that aging is the same as maturing.
2. Do you feel ashamed when you have to say your age?
-- Yes, yes I do. I don't really like to say how old I am.
3. Well, then, do you feel bad when people guess your age wrong and they tell you that you look older?
-- Yes, I honestly hate when they think I'm older. But that is actually all psychological, you know. For example, if instead they said that I looked younger, I would feel happier. This is one of the main reasons why I hate the classic age guessing games, because I can make a mistake and guess it wrong, which might make the other person feel bad.
4. Nina, we suppose that you've had a gray hair once in your life. Do you think that gray hairs and wrinkles make you feel less pretty?
-- Yeah, I actually don't feel pretty when I see my wrinkles or gray hairs, but my husband still says that I do look beautiful.
5. Do you think that cosmetic brands transmit a negative thinking about aging just to be able to promote the purchase of their anti-aging products?
-- No, I don't think so.
Obviously, aging is not just a female thing, but a male one too. From Philosophyium, we have made sure to interview also men because we were interested on their point of view. Do they think positively about aging? Check it out!
Vladimir, 46 years old, from Madrid.
1. Vladi, what do you think that 'aging' means?
-- I think that aging means growing.
2. Do you feel embarrassed when someone asks you your age?
-- No, absolutely not.
3. How do you feel when people think that you look older than what you actually are?
-- I feel good, because that means that these people think that I have grown more that what I actually have.
4. Okay, so what happens then if they think that you look younger?
-- Nothing, it's all okay. That means that I'm taking care of myself in such a good way if I look younger.
5. Do you think that cosmetic brands transmit a negative thinking about aging just to be able to promote the purchase of their anti-aging products?
-- Yeah, I actually think they do.
Article written by Team Philosophyium in collaboration with Andromeda.
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