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People who took in more positive age beliefs at the start of the study they had a median survival advantage over those who took in more negative age beliefs. They had a median survival advantage of seven and a half years.” Even though Levy's chatty style kinda bugged me (which is rare for me, usually I am all for a chatty informal style) and she gave too many personal stories as examples, this book ended up being better than I thought it would be. I appreciated all of the studies that she referenced and included in her notes section. Very thorough in seeking out relevant research related to her topic. It’s heartening to read this book by Dr Levy and it’s a lesson to all of us, of a certain age, to keep active and positive. Don’t look at old age as a negatively descending slope, or our perception will become a reality. I can see more clearly how harmful age-related beliefs have hurt me, from when I was hesitant to try things in my youth because I thought myself to be "too young" up until now, when I worry about attempting something due to being "too old." And certainly, I should stop makes assumptions about others due to their age as well.
The World Health Organization has called ageism the most prevalent and socially acceptable form of prejudice and discrimination today,” says Levy, who has testified before the U.S. Senate on the adverse effects of ageism. She also has contributed to briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in age-discrimination cases and has participated in United Nations discussions of ageism. Dislodging the stereotypes This exciting new book gives all of us who are aging an opportunity to find ways to positively influence our destiny.Readers can use insights from this book to increase opportunities to shape a better and longer life. The eternal legacy of Maggie Kuhn, the founder of Gray Panthers and one of the most important and effective activists of the 20 th century is richly demonstrated in this book.”Before reading this book, I knew that Becca was a pioneering scientist at Yale, I now know that she is a world-class writer, story-teller, and humanist.Her book is exciting, relevant, and holds the potential to exert powerful global influence on how we age. This is an extremely profound and timely message that needs to be heard.” This book is downright amazing, giving me the chance to consider aging in a completely new light. I'm quite glad I started reading it, almost on a whim, if I recall, looking over newly released books. I was just interested enough to give it a try, perhaps due to being the right age that such matters as ageism are starting to perk my interest. But the topic of this book is very much an issue for people of all ages, I would have liked to have been more aware of these issues decades ago. American author and activist Betty Friedan once observed: “Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”
Levy has produced a manifesto to inspire us to fight against the scourge of ageism and its negative effects on older adults, and our society. The book is a call to action and provides practical and proven methods to help older adults develop more positive views of their lives, and to inspire all of us to stand up against ageism in our personal life, workplace, and social media. This book will be remembered as a turning point in the fight against ageism.” Levy also reveals that some health issues commonly associated with old age ― hearing loss, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease ― are the products of negative stereotypes and prejudices absorbed from our social surroundings. All too often, these fatalistic attitudes about the inevitability of declining health in later life become self-fulfilling prophecies. I chose the audiobook edition for myself because it is more realistic to listen to a book while driving than to actually get "me time" at home to read a physical book. It’s never too late to start exercising. A study carried out at the University of Nottingham, UK found that people who started running in their fifties could be just as fit as those who had been doing it for decades. They had similar finish times, muscle mass and body fat. Pub: (nods impatiently) We’ll need somewhat more, uhh, punchy text. You see, people want to read stories, not just facts and logic. People … we need real people. And famous people or unusual stories.
Article contents
Breaking the Age Code is less a self-help manual than a manifesto for a revolution Anna Maxted, The Times Levy's image of aging quiz is a great place to start. From there, she suggests starting with one week of what she calls "age belief journaling."
My major takeaway from this book is that ageism killed my father. He was doing just fine into his late 80s -- playing tennis most mornings, resting afterwards, writing the tennis column for a local newspaper, enjoying social events with his tennis buddies. Yes, there were some non-tennis events too: visiting art museums, socializing with his wife's art club buddies, playing bridge, socializing with bridge friends. Attitudes towards age vary hugely between cultures. Mention ‘old age’ in China and the correlation will be wisdom. Mention ‘old age’ in the US and it will be memory loss. She gave a lot of specific examples as to what a person could do to change their own beliefs and also ideas on how to combat ageism in society. You can consciously look for positive role models and examples of healthy aging. You can increase your intergenerational friendships. Most people are friends with people close in age to themselves. Generations in the West are kept separated from one another, especially old people. Seek out activities with a more diverse age groups - volunteering, taking a class, an exercise group etc. If you aren't sure if a comment is ageist, try substituting a different marginalized group for "old" and see if it sounds discriminatory. Don't solely blame an individual for their struggles with aging but note the environmental/situational explanation for the issue at hand.
The “medical disability” complex
Everybody wants to know how to live longer and more joyfully, and this guide uses insights to help you enhance your odds of doing just that.” — Men’s Journal, Most Highly Anticipated Books of 2022 Think about the portrayal of older people on your favorite TV shows – were the characters portrayed positively, negatively or in a nuanced way? Were they absent from conversations? Levy says once you start to challenge all the media messaging you receive, you'll begin to realize just how much there is to combat. Based on her innovative research, stories that range from pop culture to the corporate boardroom, and her own life, Levy shows how age beliefs shape all aspects of our lives. She also presents a variety of fascinating people who have benefited from positive age beliefs as well as an entire town that has flourished with these beliefs. In the Western world, ageing is seen as limiting and there’s often a dismissive attitude to the elderly. Youthfulness is exalted and older people are often dismissed. For example, if an older person is depressed it’s often brushed off as a natural part of ageing and not taken seriously by doctors. Some Nuggets from Breaking the Age Code To briefly sum things up, this book concerns the psychological and social implications of age-related beliefs. Ageism is a unique prejudice that can have profound effects on everyone (given enough time), and yet, it is one prejudice that in much of society, is completely accepted. Even people who are extraordinarily careful to avoid offending marginalized groups often routinely denigrate people based on age, and internalized ageism can have very unfortunate effects on social, psychological, and physical health.
Yale professor and leading expert on the psychology of successful aging, Dr. Becca Levy, draws on her ground-breaking research to show how age beliefs can be improved so they benefit all aspects of the aging process, including the way genes operate and the extension of life expectancy by 7.5 years. While Levy’s research underscores the value of celebrating our advancing years as a time for creativity, exploration, and accomplishment, today’s reality is often quite different. All too frequently, personal views, cultural stereotypes, and institutional biases about aging are tilted in a negative direction. Levy has developed an “ABC Method” that individuals can use to harness the power of their own positive age beliefs to improve their health. This approach consists of three stages: Breaking the Age Codeis a landmark work, presenting not only easy-to-follow techniques for improving age beliefs so they can contribute to successful aging, but also a blueprint to reduce structural ageism for lasting change and an age-just society.Positive, practical and full of fresh insights, Breaking the Age Code will dismantle your assumptions about how we get older and leave you looking forward to what the future holds. Write down every portrayal of aging that you come across," says Levy — from advertising to TV shows to casual conversation. This can reveal the areas in your life where explicit and implicit biases might lie. "Questioning the negative portrayals," says Levy, "is really important." Only 25% of our health in old age is due to our genes. 75% is environmental. Some of that environment we cannot easily change (pollution, clean water etc) but a lot we do have control over. Your perception/interpretation of aging is one thing in your control. Studies have shown over and over and over that people who have positive age beliefs live, on average, 7 1/2 years older than those with negative beliefs. Not to mention, their lives are more enjoyable!
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