Why is it acceptable that...

[IceBergSLiM]

lucky for us 20 somethings....we will have replacement organs and tissue regeneration so we will still look and feel 20 something well into our 50s

 

[Toasthead]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi

Originally posted by: K1052
When you get old, sh!t wears out.

FTW!!! I'm 25 and the part of my brain that cares about this thread has already started to wear out!

 

[zephyrprime]

Originally posted by: CPAIf anything, humans used to live artificially shorter lives. The human body is meant to last 120 to 140 years.

You gotta stop reading those new age healing books there. The whole reason we gain weight, can't move as fast, bald, have menopause, wear out cartilage, etc is becuase we are operating beyond the programmed schedule of our genetics. Our gene doesn't contain proper code for our old age because for 99.9% of human history, virtually everybody was dead before they reached what we now call old age.

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: Mermaidman

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Mwilding
When you are twenty, you can live on fast food and 2 hours of sleep, and a bad hangover lasts a few hours.

By the time you hit 40, a handful of drinks can crush you for days and having a Big Mac more than occasionally is going to wreak havoc on your digestive tract. It is not about seing a doctor, it is just a reality. I know every college kid tells himself he will never get old and boring, but when more than a few hours of drinking can fvck up your life for a week, it just doesn't seem fun anymore.

This is what I'm saying... why is this just accepted? Why does getting old automatically mean getting decrepit? There's pleanty of healthy elderly people... so one could come to the conclusion that if you're old and decrepit, it's because you're unhealthy, not because you're old. The reason I'm making the distinction is because it's possible to improve one's health, but people don't, they just accept that they can't do what they used to.

Some conditions and diseases are unavoidable. e.g. Arthritis

I don't think that's a fact. I think it's dependant on a person's health. Although I'm sure the medical community would love it if everyone bought medication for arthritis as soon as they hit 60.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: dullard
You are as old as you let yourself be.

I know plenty of people that by the time they hit 40, they were basically useless lumps of mass. They are "too old" to go out and have fun, they "have bad backs" and can't go to events even if their kids are in them because the stadium seats are hard, they "have flat feet" so they can't walk around downtown doing fun activities. They basically let age be their excuse to be lazy. What a horrible boring life.

Then I know a few people who are in their upper 80s, who are quite active. Those who get up and dance at dances, socialize at bars, are active in the community, etc. Sure they have aches and pains, sure they have bad backs, sure they have sore feet, sure they have no balance. But they don't let those minor things stop them. Deal with them and enjoy the little life they have left.

You can bet I'll be the latter type of person. It is a waste to let aging problems slow you down.

I will still be active at 40, and even 80, unless I have a serious medical problem by then. I don't care if it is a little more painful or I can't do as many crazy things as I did before, I will still be active. But to say that age isn't a significant factor in what you eat and what you do is ridiculous.

I used to climb every tree in the neighborhood, jump from 2nd story balconies and do crazy stuff like that when I was younger (part of the reason I am so banged up now). I wouldn't dream of doing any of that stuff anymore.

 

[DaShen]

Originally posted by: dullard

Originally posted by: Mermaidman
Some conditions and diseases are unavoidable. e.g. Arthritis

It hurts initially to move your joints with arthritis. But if you don't use them, the arthritis will be far, far worse. Jeff7181 is perfectly right in the case of arthritis. Get over it. Enjoy life, be active, and your arthritis will be minimial. If you baby it instead, it'll become much, much worse to the point where you can't live an active life even if you wanted to have an active life.

QFT

 

[dullard]

Originally posted by: zephyrprime
The whole reason we gain weight, can't move as fast, bald, have menopause, wear out cartilage, etc is becuase we are operating beyond the programmed schedule of our genetics. Our gene doesn't contain proper code for our old age because for 99.9% of human history, virtually everybody was dead before they reached what we now call old age.

There is a bigger problem than that. Each time our cells multiply, a little bit of the DNA is left off the end (it isn't 100% copied). At the end, we have useless jibberish DNA, so that we can go years without problem. But, as we age, soon our important genes start getting truncated. When that happens, old age problems occur. We can't live forever until this problem has been solved.

 

[ruffilb]

Originally posted by: Xanis
If your dad and mom don't eat things that they used to because it causes them phsyical pain, then it makes perfect sense why they're not eating those foods anymore.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: Mwilding
When you are twenty, you can live on fast food and 2 hours of sleep, and a bad hangover lasts a few hours.

By the time you hit 40, a handful of drinks can crush you for days and having a Big Mac more than occasionally is going to wreak havoc on your digestive tract. It is not about seing a doctor, it is just a reality. I know every college kid tells himself he will never get old and boring, but when more than a few hours of drinking can fvck up your life for a week, it just doesn't seem fun anymore.

This is what I'm saying... why is this just accepted? Why does getting old automatically mean getting decrepit? There's pleanty of healthy elderly people... so one could come to the conclusion that if you're old and decrepit, it's because you're unhealthy, not because you're old. The reason I'm making the distinction is because it's possible to improve one's health, but people don't, they just accept that they can't do what they used to.

You are correct! But the problem is the choices we make early in life, you can't just wake up at 50 or 60 and say I'm going to be healthy. There is no magic pill to reverse the effects of the abuse you put your body through as a young person. As many here have said, when your young and seemingly bullet proof you can pull allnighters and drink insane amounts, play full contact sports, etc... and recouperate quickly, but the toll it takes on your body shows up in latter years.

It's good that your thinking about this now at 25 because your still young enough to make a difference in your latter life. Eat right, live right, and sleep well now and it will pay great dividends for you when you get my age

 

[CKent]

I've actually done some reading on this subject and it's not as clear as most of you seem to think it is. Geriatric medicine is a growing field, and science is learning that while the body does inded wear out with age and can't take the stresses it once did, many symptoms of aging have an underlying reason and can be remedied. The OP is right, "It can't be helped, I'm just getting old" is often a copout.