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Extended living The Ageing World Practically, all countries
have been registering a spectacular fall in the birth rate. The world’s
population increases simply because of a health explosion. This is
causing tremendous increase in the population of old persons—"greying
world", a phenomenon that the people perceive individually but not
collectively as yet. The author avers that developed countries are all
"grey" and that in time the developing countries will also
head the same way. By 2050, the developed world will shrink to a mere 10
per cent of the world population down from a comfortable 24 per cent.
Japan will be the first country in the recent history to shrink. A fear
as such is haunting the developed countries of the shrinking labour
force, unavailable soldiers and declining vitality at large. The other
aspect of ageing syndrome is the huge burden of pensions on the younger
generation among many other similar worries in countries where social
security to the old is guaranteed. In 1999, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) brought out life expectancy figures of 191 countries.
Japan ranked number one with 74.5 years (including the disabled) and the
US at 24th, with life expectation at 70 years. With
tremendous improvements in medical science the term "old"
needs to be redefined. Ageing is physical deterioration of different
organs of the body. Schordinger defined life as a fight against inherent
degeneration that is an inviolable law of nature. The fight is fought
through information. The brain remains sharp even at 100 and remains so
till death. In many cases, it consumes outrageously more oxygen and is
less affected by oxidants, a gift of human anatomy. Therefore, the
future "old" hopefully can remain active throughout life,
provided care is taken to keep the other organs fit. In such a scenario
of the ageing mass of people, a deliberate living plan has to be drawn:
health has to be maintained, mind has to be kept alert, and happiness
has to be found. At younger age, it is the outcome of body function
inside the youthful body and personal secretion. No such biological help
is available to the old. Living in full sense and looking for
self-fulfillment have to be ensured. Since the number of the
"grey" will increase speedily, a plan of action to frame rules
for their successful living, hopefully, will emerge circumstantially.
Every aged person will ponder over after retirement that since he or she
has to live further 30 to 40 years, then he or she should plan it out in
advance to live a hassle-free life. The book has three parts. The first
one describes the ageing of individuals, while the second part two deals
with grey dynamics like emerging culture of the old people. The third
part is about fitness of the mind and body. At this ripening age of 77,
this book has given me, if not the purpose of life, then the "know
to live" and the "has to live" of it. After the passing
away of my wife last year, I did not want to live any more. Now, I find
a new awakening in this context. The book is so interesting that an
ageing reader would feel fully absorbed in it to be aware of the ageing
syndrome.
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You’ll
find no spiritual sermon, birth-rebirth cycle and comfort of Swarag
in this book, which is based on a simple premise that the longevity of
age has stretched up to 90–100 years in the USA and Europe. In
developing countries, it is catching up speedily. This longevity in age
is due to advancements of medical science.