Everything about Middle Age totally explained
Middle age is the period of life beyond
young adulthood but before the onset of
old age. Various attempts have been made to define this age, which is around the third quarter of the
average life span of
human beings.
According to
Collins Dictionary, this is "
... usually considered to occur approximately between the ages of 40 and 60".
The
OED gives a similar definition but with a later start point "
... the period between youth and old age, about 45 to 60".
The US Census lists middle age as including both the age categories 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, while
Erik Erikson sees it ending a little later and defines middle adulthood as between 40 and 65.
In many Western societies, this is seen to be the period of life in which a person is expected to have settled down in terms of their sense of
identity and place in the world, be raising a
family, and have established
career stability. It is also a period often associated with the potential onset of
mid-life crisis.
Health
Middle-aged adults often show visible signs of
aging such as
loss of skin elasticity and
graying of the hair.
Physical fitness usually wanes, with a 5-10 kg (10-20 lb) accumulation of body fat, reduction in aerobic performance and a decrease in maximal heart rate.
Strength and
flexibility also decrease throughout middle age. However, people age at different rates and there can be large differences between individuals of the same age.
Female
fertility declines significantly after age 40, and an advanced
maternal age increases the risk of a child being born with some disorders such as
Down’s Syndrome. Some conditions are also correlated with advanced
paternal age. Most women go through the
menopause, which ends natural fertility, in their late 40s or 50s.
In
developed countries, yearly
mortality begins to increase from age 40 onwards, mainly due to age-related health problems such as
heart disease and
cancer. However, the majority of middle-aged people in industrialized nations can expect to live into
old age.
Life expectancy in
developing countries is much lower and the risk of death at all ages is higher. challenge the concept that middle age is something to dread. They assert that with the right attitude and careful planning, middle age can be truly a person's best years. Those age-positive groups range from advocacy groups such as the
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) to purely
social clubs like the
Red Hat Society.
Further listening
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