Articles
The Journal on Active Aging brings articles of value to professionals dedicated to older-adult quality of life. Content sweeps across the active-aging landscape to focus on education and practice. Find articles of interest by searching the article archives in three ways: Enter a keyword in the articles search bar; click on search by topic; or type a keyword or phrase in the general search bar at the top of the page.
Topic- Public policy
International active aging: global agendas forge ahead by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The average age of the world’s population is increasing at an unprecedented rate, according to a recent report1 commissioned by the National Institute on Aging, one of the US National Institutes of Health. In mid-2008, there were an estimated 506 million people ages 65 and older worldwide. By 2040, that number will hit 1.3 billion, doubling the proportion of older people globally from 7% to 14%. The report also examines international population trends and their consequences (see page 69 for highlights). Greater longevity, lower fertility rates, and increased demands upon older adults to support their children (and often grandchildren) are among the forces driving multinational healthy/active-aging initiatives.
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Physical activity guidelines: what's the difference? by Patricia Ryan, MS
Over the past several years, guidelines for physical activity for adults have been published, all from very credible organizations. Are they the same, or different? More important, how can guidelines be used in everyday work?
The most recent guidelines come from the US government department of Health & Human Services (HHS) and American College of Sports Medicine and American Heart Association (ACSM/AHA). Earlier guidelines are listed on the next page.
Public policy
National Blueprint report: strategies for integrating physical activity into wellness programming for older adults
“We envision a society in which all people age 50 and older enjoy health and quality of life, which is enhanced through regular physical activity,” notes the vision statement of the National Blueprint Initiative, a leading alliance that promotes physically active lifestyles for older Americans. Further, the Blueprint “will inspire an approach to aging that encourages physical activity in all aspects of people’s lives.” The initiative’s progress since this statement was written is a testament to its purpose and the enduring efforts of its partner organizations, as well as those who support active aging. At a recent meeting in Orlando, Florida, Blueprint partners discussed future strategies to advance the initiative and, for the first time, also considered opportunities for providing programming that addresses multiple dimensions of wellness. This development highlights how things have changed in health promotion for older adults in the eight years since the National Blueprint began. It also points to how the initiative is evolving in response.
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Nations on the move: international perspectives on active aging by Marilynn Larkin, MA
The world is in the midst of an “invisible epidemic” of chronic diseases, which are “by far” the leading cause of mortality worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Aging, ill populations are a leading cause of poverty in many less developed countries, and costs related to aging and illness are skyrocketing in developed countries, as well. Much of this morbidity and mortality relates to lifestyle factors, including inactivity. Researchers have estimated that if all inactive adults in the United States became physically active, the potential cost savings in US healthcare expenditures would be $76.6 billion (in 2000 dollars).
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Progress report from the White House Conference on Aging by Patricia Ryan, MS
With so many issues to face as the population ages, how do you decide which will be drivers for the future? The formidable task of choosing the most important issues was assigned to the 1,200 delegates attending the 2005 White House Conference on Aging (WHCoA). The 4-day event last December was the culmination of 2 years of input from consumers and professionals. Its purpose? To make recommendations to the President and Congress to help guide national aging policies for the next 10 years and beyond, focusing on the large population of Baby Boomers.
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Putting prevention into practice by Colin Milner
On March 5, 2003, Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona, M.D., outlined for an audience of doctors what he considers his top priority as Surgeon General of the United States. Seven months to the day after his swearing in as the nation’s top doc, Carmona told delegates at an American Medical Association conference that he will focus on encouraging Americans to choose healthy behaviors that may prevent disease.
According to Carmona, the U.S. health system is overburdened as the result of people’s poor health choices and lack of personal responsibility. “We wait for people to get sick and then we spend top dollar to make them healthy again,” he told AMA delegates. “As I see it, we can no longer as a society continue to afford the poor choices that have given us this huge disease burden and huge costs.”
