Get annoyed when people assume they will be healthy and alive into old age

[lesley33]

Yes people are living longer. Yes if you live healthily you cut down the risk of certain illnesses. But many people still die relatively young and many elderly people have major illnesses.

So a third of men die before they are 65. And on a personal level, my incredibly fit and healthy looking aunt at 78 who still goes long long hill walks, had a heart bypass 7 years ago. My fit 84 year old neighbour had cancer in her 60's. And I know numerous people who lived very healthy lives and died in their 60's.

You may be lucky and live a long life with no major illness until near the end. Some people do. But please don't assume that is the norm, because it isn't.

god, pandorasbox that's a bit worrying. I'm only 4 years older than you and I've got a pension and savings... What are you and your friends going to live on when you are old?

You die when you are supposed to die, doesnt matter the life you lead in the meantime, once your time is up, it's up.

I may be being thick here, but if the average life expectancy in your country/area is high, then statistically aren't we more likely than not to live to old age, healthily or otherwise?

I had a massive health scare last year and one of the things the neurosurgeon (it was that kind of health scare) said has stuck with me. As I was protesting that I couldn't possibly be sick as I've always been perfectly healthy, he came out with "We're always perfectly healthy until we get sick". Sent a chill right down me, so it did.

Anyway, seems to me there is a fine balance. It's good to be largely optimistic. It's also good to have reasons for being optimistic, such as not smoking, eating healthily and taking exercise etc etc. If your number's up, your number's up, and you could get knocked down by a bus tomorrow, but I'd prefer to think that neither I nor any I love will. (My parents will obviously both live in very good health to 120, and then pass away quietly together in their sleep. As will me and my DH.)

There was some interesting interviews with HIV-postive people in the late nineties who were told they only had a few years to live, and then, as better drugs were developed, found they were living a lot longer than expected. There were a number who had given up their jobs/travelled around the world etc, only to find themselves a bit screwed when life continued on as normal except they had no more fecking money. I always think of those people when told to "live every day as if it's your last". :)

Of course you shouldn't live every day as if it was your last. We still need to study, work and save for the future. But I guess I just know mainly middle aged people who seem to put off doing good things to some time in the future that may never happen.

And stats means that although our average life expectancy is high, a relatively large proportion of people do die before they reach this age.

"The charity Men?s Health Forum says that 22% of men in England and Wales die before the age of 65 and 42% before 75. By comparison, 13% of women die before 65 and 26% before 75."

As I said before, my views on this have been crystalised by a close friend dying very very suddenly after previously being in very good health. It just brings home to you how suddenly things can change.

minipie - All my money is tied up in property at the mo. Got a place at 18 so have a lot more than most people at my age. Most of my friends are very such subsidised by benefits. I am the only one who ist so they will just keep getting subsidised by benefits I expect.

I think most young people care much more about the here and now in general.

Also Im planning to tie all money up in property sell it and spend it all so dont have to pay any inheritace tax just like my parents and gps have/did

I'm planning to spend all my money before I die as well.

It sounds from posters that young people don't put off what they enjoy till sometime in the future - which is good. Not the same amongst the middle aged I am afraid.

Ah ok well you are thinking long term in that case.

I know what you mean. People feel entitled to good health and an old age. Life's not fair and noone's entitled to good luck. They might be more grateful for what they have if they ever visited a third world country.

I think that you need to be optimistic, but everyone with DCs should have made a will and sorted out guardians.