The longevity society

Abstract

As the demographic transition enters a new stage of a longevity transition, focus needs to extend beyond an ageing society towards a longevity society. An ageing society focuses on changes in the age structure of the population, whereas a longevity society seeks to exploit the advantages of longer lives through changes in how we age. Achieving a longevity society requires substantial changes in the life course and social norms, and involves an epidemiological transition towards a focus on delaying the negative effects of ageing. The broad changes required to achieve healthy longevity include an increased focus on healthy life expectancy, a shift from intervention towards preventive health, a major public health agenda to avoid increases in health inequality, the establishment of longevity councils to ensure coordinated policy across government departments, and intergenerational assessment of policies, to ensure that in adapting to longer lives, policies are not skewed towards older people. A longevity society represents a new stage for humanity and requires deep-seated notions about age and ageing to be challenged if society is to make the best use of the additional time that longevity brings.

Factors Determining the Quality of Life of Polish Women during Menopause Based on the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire

“…The second aim of our study was to assess the quality of life of Polish women during the menopause and to identify the determinants of it. Nowadays, the average life expectancy of women is about 80 years and is steadily increasing, with one-third of their lives falling into the postmenopausal period, which occurs around the age of 50 [ 8 , 20 , 21 ]. Moreover, women in their 50s are required to be fully physically, intellectually and socially active.…”

Gait Biomechanics for Fall Prevention among Older Adults

“…Without accommodating for the fundamental adaptations necessary for an ongoing ageing society, current unsustainable healthcare systems will soon face critical degradation. Instead of mere longevity, our attention should be shifted to the concept of 'healthy life expectancy', broadly defined as "the time in which people can live with sufficient well-being and QOL" [5]. To improve our 'healthy life expectancy', it is important to prevent or even reverse the onset of 'frailty' among older adults.…”

The economics of longevity – An introduction

“…In other words, ageing is malleable. The malleability of age may be in terms of changes in behaviours at each age (see Kotschy (2021) and Scott (2021c) for evidence of important shifts in terms of life cycle decisions regarding education, fertility and work). Both in terms of underlying health and behaviours, the result is changes in how we age.…”