Leading nutritional charity stresses importance of ageing well from the inside out
This is interesting, so don’t be put off by the percentages included.
New research from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition has found that 62% of over 30s believe that looking young is the biggest sign of ageing well. Over 30s put less emphasis on preserving memory, eyesight and hearing. Two thirds (67%) claim they would change their diet if it meant they would age better
Figures from the Office for National Statistics predict that by 2039, 29.5% of the UK population will be aged over 60. With this ever-ageing population, new research from the educational charity the Institute for Optimum Nutrition has explored how we feel about ageing, as a nation.
The research of 2,000 over 30s across the UK found that people believe that being able to remain active (70%) is the biggest sign of ageing well, whilst a further 62% think that looking young on the surface is a strong indicator that they are fighting off the ageing process.
The findings reveal that as a nation we put more emphasis on preserving our looks rather than elements such as maintaining a good memory (57%), keeping independence (56%) and preserving eyesight (40%) and hearing (41%). This indicates that we may be overlooking preventative measures that we can use now, in order to impact our health in the future.
There was a notable difference between age groups and 70% of those 60+ believe good memory is a sign of ageing well, compared to only 47% of 30-39 year olds. Similarly, those in the 30-39 bracket put more emphasis on looking young (65%) than those 60+ (60%).
The research also found that little emphasis was put on how diet can affect ageing and the preventative measures that can aid the process. A huge 81% understand that diet and lifestyle impact the ageing yet only two thirds (67%) claim they would change their diet if it meant they would age better. The survey also revealed a significant number of people are confused about the effects of fat in the diet, with 26% thinking they should be avoiding fat in their diet. Different fats have different effects on the ageing process and good fats are an important element in helping us to age well.
The figures show that most people understand what can help us age well, including keeping physically active (80%), avoiding smoking (70%), and a healthy diet (60%). Avoiding large amounts of sun exposure (53%) certainly helps to prevent skin ageing but conversely being too sun-shy can cause vitamin D deficiency which is a factor in many age-related ailments including osteoporosis and dementia. Fewer people acknowledge the benefits of avoiding regular consumption of alcohol (45%), playing word puzzles or sudoku (34%) and using anti-aging cream (19%). Only 30% of respondents noted the importance of social activity in healthy ageing, despite its significant potential benefits to keeping an active body and mind.
The Institute for Optimum Nutrition wants to highlight the impact an ageing population may have on the NHS and how we can all take steps to age well, from the inside out, through nutrition and an active lifestyle.
Deborah Colson from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition said: “It is great to see that the majority of people understand the importance of diet and lifestyle to healthy ageing. Now we need to make sure that those who are prepared to make change in order to age well can access the resources they need. And for those, who aren’t interested, we need to understand what the barriers are for them. If you had the choice wouldn’t you rather maintain very good health until close to the end of your life than suffer steady decline and poor health for decades?”