Ageing
The existence of a fountain of youth that restores the health and youth of anyone bathing in its waters has tantalised humanity for centuries.
Substitute the mythical water for modern-day medicine and we could, in the next decade, see medicines that slow the ageing process and help us live to 150 years old.
Life expectancy in Australia is already on a positive trend. At the beginning of the 20th Century, life expectancy at birth was about 55 years for males and 59 years for females.
Continue reading "What would life be like if we lived to 150?" »
Where did we Australians get this idea that 50 is old, too old, over the hill? Since becoming Age Discrimination Commissioner, I have been asked this question many times. I can’t answer it.
But we have to find an answer. We have to get rid of this damaging idea. Because of it, too many people are being forced out of their jobs when they have barely turned 50. When they apply for a new job, they are often ignored, or fobbed off with excuses like, “You are overqualified”, or “We are looking for someone with lots of energy”! This fob-off is not only insulting, not only damaging to the well-qualified, motivated mature worker, it leads him or her on the downward path to poverty in old age.
If sustained, these experiences can lead to depression. After all, everyone needs to feel useful, to get recognition for a job well done. We all enjoy the company of fellow workers, and most of us need to earn money and grow our super, well into our 60’s and beyond. If all this is denied us, just because of prejudice, we suffer. And, tragic as it is, this is not just about the waste of individuals.
Continue reading "Can we seriously say that 50 is too old to work?" »
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DonE says:
It seems these days we have a ‘danger period’. On reaching say 50, should you lose your job, you have 15 years of unemployment & uncertainty until you reach 65 and qualify for the pension. Just what the hell are folk in that age group expected to do for the… Read more »
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DonE says:
That’s the most refreshing viewpoint I’ve read so far on this. We are mere ‘fodder’ to grease the wheels of capitalism and consumerism. To hell with work. It’s a bore. Anyone who say’s otherwise is deceiving themselves. Read Tom Hodgkinson’s books, ‘How to be idle’ & ‘How to be free’… Read more »
Dear body, I’m writing to say sorry. You’ve copped a right hammering over the years. Honestly, you could take yourself off to a home for battered bodies, on account of the physical and emotional abuse you’ve endured.
Sure, I’ve never cut you, starved you or shoved heroin into you. But there’s something pretty ugly about constantly comparing you and always finding you wanting. Slimmer, more sculpted, wider-eyed, smaller-nosed, longer-limbed, more honey-toned, less freckly, less spotted, less wrinkled, less… just less, freakin’ less of you. Especially you, thighs – you’ve ruined my life.
For a long time, I thought I was the only one haranguing you for your inadequacies. Turns out, we’re all at it.
Continue reading "Body, you’ve copped a lot of crap but please forgive me" »
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Jebach says:
Here.. a charity comment from moi.. Read more »
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Ian says:
“........... And when you hit the mid sixties, the morning aches and pains will remind you that Father Time is moving you up the Ledger and no matter what you, you cannt reverse the aging process! Remember Dad and Mum saying “one day you will realize health is mre important… Read more »
When this new picture for my column (headshot) was emailed to me, I zoomed in. And zoomed in again.
What do you reckon I saw? Smart top? Nice jeans? Fab blow-dry? Nope. I saw lines. Big parenthesis-shaped ones running Jack Nicholson Joker-style from my nose to my chin. You didn’t notice? You do now.
Apparently, they’re called nasolabial folds and are caused by ageing and laughing – which is unfortunate because, short of sticking myself in the deep freeze or being perpetually glum, they’re only going to get worse.
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Laneta says:
What’s it take to become a sublime expounder of prose like ysourelf? Read more »
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Anne Stocks says:
Hi Deb, don’t give up there are a lot of dunnys in Australia and if this is your speciality and you do a good job there will be someplace out there who will value your services regardless of your age, because in all honesty you don’t really have a use… Read more »
Early-onset or ‘precocious’ puberty is on the rise, thanks to increasing child obesity levels and possibly environmental hormones.
Now, scientists from the Conds Institute have pinpointed a trend towards early-onset middle age, and their hypothesis is that it could also have to do with obesity and sedentary lifestyles.
They warn that Australians in their 30s or early 40s may already be experiencing a range of symptoms including stray hair, inadvertent grunting, and increasing issues with bodily secretions.
Continue reading "Got ear hair? It could be a sign of something serious" »
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Adam says:
Perhaps you are merely confusing overwhelming support for the LNP, with people trolling. A sad and misguided mistake. I suggest you get outside more and converse with a wider variety of people. Perhaps then you will realise not everyone who doesn’t share your views is a troll. Read more »
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The Liberal Loafer says:
Why does the Liberal Party hire so many Liberal Party Trolls to flood the Punch Forum and numerous other forums in an attempt to hire new Coalitio and to preach Coalition Propaganda to other pathetic Liberal Party Trolls ???. Read more »
Recently I had dinner with a senior diplomat who spoke bravely about confronting the sheer horror of turning 50. The unwavering march of the calendar date toward him was ruthless.
In the meantime he was stubbornly holding on to being in his forties. As a 43-year-old myself, he desperately looked in my direction in search of a common age identity.
In youth growing old was good. Age brought an end to study, hopefully a nice job, and with it economic emancipation. Age was also a ticket to fun: independence, romance, and booze.
Continue reading "Turning 50: When age does start to weary me" »
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Valerie Woodruffe says:
Golfing great Seve Ballesteros who died last week at 54, was just one year younger than me (my birthday is in December), goes to show you never know when your time is going to come up, and you should live every day as your last Read more »
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Watcher says:
turning 50 is not such a bad thing, it might have been 100 years ago, they did not live as long, but you can wear the half a century badge proudly, today knowing you still have plenty of years in front of you. Turning 50 did not bother me, turning… Read more »
The queue of mature cinema-goers that snaked its way on Saturday night from the local art house cinema, and halfway out of the shopping complex that houses it, looked more like something you would expect at a summer rock festival than in the leafy private school belt.
(Here’s a cinema interview that the 40 plus types will like)
But people will queue - because in the 40+ market, the cinema seems to have triumphed. This particular venue has refined its product to the point where the mirrors in the bathroom don’t show anything below the bosom, and the lights Photoshop you in a flattering 40w - which is ideal for any middle-aged viewer as she mulls over what to select at the candy bar.
Not so long ago, the potential supremacy of the cinema as a leisure activity was undermined by the absence of alcohol. But this hurdle has now been overcome - with the double-edged result that you can experience the tension in your bladder rise in tandem with the tension in the plot.
Continue reading "Cinema: Culture without the boring bits" »
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Lee says:
I don’t know which cinemas everyone on here goes to but it sounds horrible! I don’t remember the last time someone talked so loud it wrecked the movie, the last chip packet that rattled was mine BEFORE the movie came on, there were no noisy kids and no mobile phones… Read more »
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Debs says:
We haven’t gone to the cinema for years - it’s just too expensive!! Between ticket prices, snacks and drinks - two of us going to a movie is a fairly costly night out. Thank heavens we don’t have kids! We’d MUCH rather wait a month or two, buy the DVD… Read more »
What do you do with your life when what is left can be counted in years, rather than decades?
When the realisation hits that you are sliding into oblivion?
This new fear is aided and abetted by the overwhelming attitude of the community towards the elderly.
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Damocles says:
Yeah, well picked “rickety” Reg (blah..blah…blah), but I think you’ll find that “their or they’re” is a GRAMMATICAL error, not a SPELLING error, so go and bark up another tree! My “breathtaking, assumptive, god damn statement” is true and correct and one you didn’t respond to, but feel free to… Read more »
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sherry says:
At the age of 45 I was bemoaning my state of ‘already too oldism’ to an 85 year old friend who had immigrated from England at the age of 75 to be near a particular spiritual community. She looked penetratingly at me and smiled indulgently; ‘My dear, 45 is a… Read more »
One of the great myths is that we grow old gracefully.
Absolute rubbish. We lurch from being young, active and viable, too old, useless and invisible in the snap of an eye.
There’s nothing graceful about it.
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Idalia says:
Yeah, that’s the tikect, sir or ma’am Read more »
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mary says:
Sorry to hear that Asrael. That really sucks. Thanks for your advice, it’s the best I’ve heard all day. Don’t give up on miracles either, they do exist. Read more »
When it comes to questions of population, ignorance often prevails. The business lobby in Australia, often through its many and varied “independent” centres and institutes, leads the way.
Through its complex web of public relations activities, it pushes its population growth propaganda, specialising in denial.
Here are some facts:
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Jailene says:
So true. Honesty and everything recgoniezd. Read more »
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Mary Ginseng says:
People are denying God and taking on Science as a replacement, something to worship. However, an increasingly secular society hasn’t really given more credence to science. We all know in natural systems that nothing can have perpetual growth, and if species keep growing, they end up dying eventually as they… Read more »
AS a twenty-something, I have a real mind to send Steve Jobs a nasty email for ruining my retirement.
I was looking forward to marvelling at some new whiz-bang contraption in my twilight years, while telling some young punk how, in my day, iPads didn’t support Flash. Thanks to Jobs and his high-waisted jeans, however, it will be a lot less starry-eyed wonder and whole lot more humbug.
When I’m 84 and daytime telly’s been cancelled because the last of the Andrew O’Keefe clones has died in a bizarre Ready, Steady Cook accident, I’ll be bored stiff.
Continue reading "I want an iPhone 5 and I want it right now" »
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Steven66 says:
Yeah I am wondering what the new model of iPhone is going to look like. I think now they will remake their politics and we will see some brand new models really soon. All the world is waiting for that! I am sure that Apple products will always stay among… Read more »
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bigmuzz says:
i’ve had the same sony ericson “walkman” mobile phone now for over 5 1/2 years. it makes phone calls and sends text messages. thats all i have ever wanted my phone to do. i’ve never felt the need to upgrade it because i’ve always had my computer/laptop for all my… Read more »
I’ve upset a lot of people over the years. At first I thought this was due to my unwavering history of frank and fearless journalism but it turns out people just find me rather annoying.
It is for this reason that I find the euthanasia debate a little bit worrying. I’ve seen the way my mother looks at me sometimes.
There are also fiscal considerations. I am already in my mid-thirties and drink and smoke far too much. If I were bumped off now it would likely save the hospital system a great deal of money and - from what my bosses tell me - have no discernible impact on national productivity.
This is not just a fear for myself of course but a fear for all of us who are vulnerable at times.
Continue reading "The problem with euthanasia is living can be harder" »
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scotty says:
Venise “there is none so blind as he who will not see” Read more »
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austin 3:16 says:
Hey Cate, how does an unreglated “informal” system, such as currently operates provide more protection than a legally regulated one ? Read more »
Questions about ageing are usually left to philosophers, surgeons and casting agents. But this week, the people had their say.
According to research from the esteemed European Social Survey, the average Briton thinks middle age starts at 36 and old age begins at 59.
It’s a big slap in the face for all those in their 30s and 40s who thought that because they still listened to Triple J, went to tapas bars and had a current gym membership, they still qualified as young.
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Terry Smith Mrs says:
Im 59 look 40, active as a 30year old, spend money like a 70 year old. party like a 90 year old. and feel like I’m 30 year old GO FIGGER Read more »
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Eye4anEye says:
seems fairly well defined to me - your young for approximatly a 3rd of your life middle for the same and old for the same which seems logical. Read more »
Thousands of old people, watching a group of old men dance around in front of the Hogwarts Express. This is rock and roll.
Almost 50,000 sets of wrinkled fingers twist into pathetic hand-grimaces – weak parodies of the famous devil horns.
The Hogwarts Express is now being ridden by a gigantic inflatable caricature of Barbara Windsor - with breasts that are literally bigger than my Dad’s car. Bigger than the 4WDs owned by half of the audience.
Continue reading "Highway To Hell, first stop Redfern, then Lidcombe" »
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Gippe Bibble says:
Lets not forget Soundwave. Lets not forget acts like Faith No More. Compared to Faith No More’s show tonight, AC/DC was about as much fun as being dry-humped by Matthew Johns in a public toilet. Read more »
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franny says:
Hey acker I’m thinking after reading all your comments, that maybe you don’t have enough to do with your time? Me, I’m a busy woman off to bowls, sorry I’ll have to leave the close examination of the lyrics of ac/dc for much, later. Read more »
This week’s release of the 2010 Intergenerational Report by Treasurer Wayne Swan brought the issue of mature-age workers rightly into the spotlight.
Few issues are as important to our nation’s future as responding to the long-term trend of an ageing population.
It was therefore disappointing to see the inflammatory response of Coalition Seniors spokesperson Bronwyn Bishop claiming that the Government was demonising older people and forcing them to work until they drop.
Continue reading "Work while you can, but not ‘til you drop" »
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Informed Giant says:
Mark, the country would be far better served if we didn’t have hacks such as yourself in Parliament. Noone beleives a word you say, esepcially since the whole ‘green jobs’ debacle. Can’t wait to see the back of you and KRUDD. Read more »
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Brian says:
Nice article Mark. However we do not all have access to cheap property developments in Sydney’s East like you and Eric Roozendaal to fall back on, plus the parliamentary pension. How is the investigation into those “friends of Labor” coming ? Read more »
There is nothing new in the mid summer sermons of Prime Minister Rudd as he meanders across the Australian continent.
The fact that health expenses are rising faster than inflation is not a revelation it is simply a well known fact. Neither is it new that the population is ageing. This simply means that people are living longer and healthier lives and is a cause for celebration, not morbid prognostications.
What is new is that Mr Rudd is blaming older Australians for the cost blowout.
Continue reading "Blaming the elderly is a tired old argument, Kevin" »
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Mathew says:
Brownyn! I’m shocked by you! Using naked people to sell a story? Also, did you get the permission of the nude people who are in the background of the image? Tut. tut. tut. Read more »
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Michelle says:
Kevin is using old folks in a carrot and stick game. The stick is: we are facing a demographic worker shortage, so work longer, work harder, and expect cuts to future public services. The carrot is: we have all the young workers out there in Asia if only Australia would… Read more »
I teetered into my 40th birthday earlier this year.
Fabulous heels? Check. Spectacular dress? Check. Girls Night Out? Cocktails? Dancing? Check. Check. Check.
I’m nothing if not a walking cliché.
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stephen says:
Hell, what’ya say to a 40 year old woman ? Jeez !! Read more »
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Sara Donald says:
Hey Jayne, Lovely, well-written piece with meaningful insights and anecdotes. My 40 b’day swings around in two more years. am already planning a huge bush dance bash. can’t wait!! hope to see more of your stories on the web. By the way, gorgeous pic of you. Read more »
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From: Punch on: Open thread 09/02/2012
marley says:
I'm one of the older ones, so I've certainly seen a few changes in my time. When I started school I learned to write with a nib pen, dipped in an inkwell (no, I'm not kidding). My mother became a dab hand at getting inkstains out of my clothes. Flicking ink at one another in the classroom was an essential… [read more]From: I’d rather have a piece of toast than listen to crap lyrics
Erick says:
Led Zeppelin are responsible for my all-time favourite mixed metaphor: "There you sit, sit and stare, like a book on a shelf rusting." (Misty Mountain Hop) I laugh every time I hear it. Hmmm, I believe I've decided what to play on the way to work today. [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
No wuckin forries. These nuckin futs are tuckin fops
Well, puck me with a fitchfork. The F-word is apparently an acceptable part of Australian speech. That’s… Read more
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