The Battle for Health

There is a disease that has been studied for 142 years responsible for a pandemic that once again kills more people than any other infection, including one third of the deaths due to antibiotic resistance. It is caused by an extraordinary bacterium that can either be totally silent and symptomless or turn your lungs to the consistency of cheese and, if untreated, poorly treated, or antibiotic resistant, a protracted and debilitating illness that ultimately leads to a horrendous death by suffocation. Come and find out about our efforts to understand so that we can kill this formidable pathogen.

I will introduce the terms of age-stereotypes, ageism, and self-perceptions of ageing. I will then mention some studies showing that having more positive self-perceptions of ageing (i.e., aiming to make the most out of ageing-related changes like having more free time) can help middle-aged and older people maintain better physical, mental, and cognitive health over years. Next, I will present some studies explaining why being more positive helps people to age more healthily (I will for example mention that those people who are more positive about ageing are more likely to engage in physical activity). Finally, I will provide a reflection of how we could promote more positive views of ageing and better inclusion of older people at societal level.