What is middle aged?

[Kanfuzed123]

What age do we define as middle age?

i always thought it was around the 45 mark?

but today at work, someone described 35 as middle aged. I wanted to cry into my decaf tea (decaf because it was 3pm and if I have caffeine after 2 I can’t sleep, because I’m ’middle Aged’ (read 35))

*note for context, the crying into my tea, whilst I was drinking tea, the crying bit is lighthearted, I wasn’t actually triggered to the point of tears

I didn't feel or look "middle aged" until I was a few years past 50. So I'd say 50-65, and after that it's young old age 65-75 and then old age 75+

It's definitely not 35 and it never has been. There's a running gag (for the parents) in Anthony Buckeridge's "Jennings" books from the 50s and 60s that the ten year old boys in the stories think their teacher is middle-aged at 33. The implication is obviously that this is ridiculous.

45-65

Good God. Over 60 elderly. What are you on about?

In my opinion - this is how it goes.

Under 3 - baby/toddler.

3 to 6 - infant. (Or young child.)

7 to 12 - child.

13 to 19 - teenager (I disagree that 18 is adult and it should be changed to 20!)

20 to 32 Young adult.

33 to 42 - adult.

43 to 52 is middle aged.

Then at 53 to 70 you are a senior.

71+ is elderly.

65 is not middle aged and neither is 35 @Kanfuzed123

I'm 43 in a few weeks and I deffo feel middle aged now. Not in my head, I'm still about 25 there but my body is letting me down. I ache quite a bit for no real reason, I now take a week to recover from a ( depressingly timid) night out and "middle age spread" has well and truly hit - I put on 3lbs just looking at a desert menu.

I was a whippersnapper at 35!
45 felt more like it, 48 really is it.

Saying 60 is elderly is a bit batshit. But so is the suggestion that 65 is middle aged!

@Kanfuzed123 , it sort of depends. Do you carve an average lifespan into portions? Young, adult, middle aged, old? In which case you’d be young until about 20, adult until about 40, middle aged until about 60 after which you’d be old. I think that’s the traditional interpretation. I’m 61 so I say bollocks to that, I’ll get old when I’m ready and I’m not remotely ready yet! 😘

"somereallyniceadvice
45 to 59.
Over 60 elderly"

Good God. Over 60 elderly. What are you on about?

Well quite! Normal working age is now up to age 67

I have a child who is 51 - he'd be upset to read some of these comments!

43 - 45 I’d say

35 is young! I had a baby at 35! Can I guess the person who said that is younger than 35

I said 35, and I had a baby at 36. You can have a baby in middle age!

I'd say 45-65 is middle aged
65+ is elderly

I used to think over 60 was elderly when I was younger but my dad is 78, his mates are 78 and just turned 80. They surf every day (he would Christmas Day if my mother wouldn't hit the roof) and in a band. He walks around in hoodies and baggy jeans most of the time and genuinely is a dude.
I don't see him or his friends as old now I'm mid 30's and my children, especially the teenagers think he's wonderful. My eldest 3 sons are aged 16 to 19 and they always invite him out to do things, to the skate park, on hikes etc. He's amazing.

I used to think over 60 was elderly when I was younger but my dad is 78, his mates are 78 and just turned 80. They surf every day (he would Christmas Day if my mother wouldn't hit the roof) and in a band. He walks around in hoodies and baggy jeans most of the time and genuinely is a dude.
I don't see him or his friends as old now I'm mid 30's and my children, especially the teenagers think he's wonderful. My eldest 3 sons are aged 16 to 19 and they always invite him out to do things, to the skate park, on hikes etc. He's amazing.

🤣 At 78 he is still elderly regardless of hobbies and clothing.

It's a silly term, because we don't know what age we'll live to.

So 40 should be the middle of middle age... 30-50?

@BarbaraHoward no I don't think that middle age is strictly in the middle of the lifespan, I was just responding to another poster who defined it as 50 based on a lifespan of 100

To me, 'middle age' is simply a term used to describe someone who no longer young, but also not old, which is why I tend to associate it with the 40-60 age bracket.

Old age starts at 60, and I would consider someone to be 'elderly' at 80.

According to the teens I know, 50 is old.

@Octomingo well they're not completely wrong! A few decades ago, 50 would have been considered the start of old age. Hence it being associated with special privileges (such as being eligible to go on a SAGA holiday)

I would say 35-50 early middle age. 50-65 late middle age 65-80 old. 80+!elderly.

That’s because you’re not 😅 65 in the uk is classed as elderly.However l think being 65 today, is different to being 65 say 30 yrs ago, due to looking many yrs younger.

60 isn't elderly. It isn't even retirement age for God's sake! My parents and all their friends were completely healthy, on the ball and doing loads of stuff at 80. After 80 though, health issues and mental decline has come in quite quickly for some of them.

I'm 50 and I will finally admit I'm middle aged now but I'm ok with that. It isn't a bad thing!

These threads always have loads of posts saying people who are healthy and old can't possibly be old because they're healthy.

41-60 middle aged
61-75 old
76+ very old

I think 50s and 60s is middle aged.

I'm 34 and still get called young lady all the time so certainly wouldn't think it's middle aged.