To think 60 is old aged

[Goodtimes80]

And 35 Middle aged?

Young is under 30, 30s are, I don't know, youngISH (certainly not middle aged!), 40s and 50s are middle aged, 60s are maybe oldER, old starts at 70.

I don't think anyone on this thread has a problem with their age. Or with knowing that statistically they're probably in the middle years of their life or the last third or quarter or whatever. But what do the labels 'middle aged' or 'old aged' with some more or less arbitrary numbers attached, as per the OP, actually add to that? Nothing much except a means of stereotyping, so I'd rather not use them and simply give my age when and if it's relevant.

I agree with Errol. At 60, I balk at "old" because of its resoundingly negative usage and the disesteem in which older people, particularly some, are held. I say my age, if asked.

On the other hand, I will hunt down anyone who uses "spry".

Why do we need to categorise people like this?

I have no idea, Ghoul, it is generally irrelevant.

So people don't like the negative connotations of being old? Or stereotyping or categorising people according to age? Well good - at least we agree on something! In that case, why not challenge it?

Every time someone goes, 'I'm eleventy-nine but I'm not old, eww no!' it helps sustain the prejudice. Why not say, 'Yes, I'm middle aged / I'm old / I'll be getting old soon - do you have a problem with that?'

I do have a problem with it! 60 is not old. If I get to 80 then I will be old.

Why do you have a problem with it? I'll be 60 next year which I would say is deep into middle age but if someone thinks it's old, I don't give a stuff.

I am 60 next yeart, I shop in top shop, run, do yoga and expect to work another 7+ years. I am not some sad old gimmer, and I do not want to be categorised by you, OP, as "old" in a generic mass with all teh 90 year olds on this planet. I'd suggest late middle aged up to 70 ish + for the fit and active. I really feel pretty pissed off I even have to make this point.
And I have a good sex life grrrrr.

AIBU to think OP is young and / or immature and / or a hit & run merchant?

Me, reading I am not some sad old gimmer,....:

I have to go to work now (my poor colleagues). I might drop in again later although part of me hopes the thread will have petered out by then as it's depressing the hell out of me.

Higgie-phrases like "sad old gimmer" are part of the problem.
I am over 60 and don't see myself like that at all-but this is what old looks like.
Old should not be an insult, in this society it seems to be becoming that and people are dismissed because of their age.
People should all be seen as individuals not lumped into an age bracket and stereotyped.

Ace comeback Apple; apology accepted. Love from Baby Boomer! xxxx

Gosh I am 70 and I consider I am far from old. However my DCs who see lots of 70 year olds in their surgeries and on their wards say, ' Mum there are 70 year olds and then there are 70 year olds'

They say that people have wrecked their own lives with their lifestyle choices. There are also understand that there have been those who have just been VERY unlucky. I have friends who have died at 20, 42, etc.

I don't smoke, I am not fat, I exercise everyday and watch what I eat. I protect my eyes and skin from the sun and had parents who lived into extreme old age. I think 90 is old.

FORGET about your actual age and just marvel at the wonder of being alive. Don't waste time looking back and don't sweat the small stuff.

Stastically I have a 1:21 chance of dying at 70. Whenever I feel like getting worked up about anything I count my blessings and think about that fact, fleetingly.

I love my life and relish it.

It is laughable to think 35 is Middle aged.

I am 42 and don't yet feel middle aged.

My parents are 62y and are not old at all. They are still pretty active, my dad works full time. DH's parents are nearing 70 and do seem a fair bit older than my parents but again - both are active and busy.

My grandparents are mid 80s and they seem to have slowed down and aged more in recent years, and DH's grandad is in his 90s and he would describe himself as old now especially as he can't be active, is house bound pretty much, etc.

Maybe it is all just a state of mind rather than a physical thing.

But also, when you are really young - everyone seems old. It is only as you become a bit older you realise it isnt the case at all.

I though 45 was considered middle aged now?

60 isn't like it used to be when I was growing up(39 now nearly 40)people that were 60 then looked older in general than people do at 60 years old now.More people carry on working now till well past 60,where as you used to find that a large number of individuals were retired by the time they were 65.

I've found that the older generation are mainly a lot more image conscious now.No more lines and lines of large flower print dresses,now you'll see women in they're 60's and 70's buying clothes along side women in they're 20's and 30's in shops like Newlook and H & M.

More ladies other 50 are getting tattoos now then at any other time.

Where as you might get quite a few men over 50 looking for a much younger partner,now you'll find the tide has changed and a lot of women over 50,60 and 70 are choosing to date men much younger than themselves in some cases there are age gaps of over 40 years.

Back in the late 80's you would see a few people in they're early 40's in a night club and to the much younger people in there they did stand out.

Now I've been clubbing with a lady that was in her late 70's and a club I used to go to there was a lovely older gentleman that used to go there every week and have dance offs,he was 82,the guys he had dance offs against were in they're 20's and they couldn't keep up with him. Now everyone loved him and everyone all had a lot of respect for him and the same with the lady in her 70's that I knew who went clubbing.No one sniggered or was rude,like what happened in the 80's with people that were 30 and 40 years younger than them.

These people were respected and loved and the younger generation admired them.That I think is a really positive change,it's a good change

I have three friends in their fifties who have terminal cancer. My father who has always smoked, drank and not exercised, is in his seventies and healthy. Living healthy increSes your chances of living to a healthy good age, but some people who live healthy, still die young.

I'm 53 and am certainly not old. Am not fit as I could be though as I have arthritis. My 95 year old MIL is old. Fit as a flea, lives alone and looks after herself, does the Telegraph crossword everyday and never has a days illness.

My DM though is 76 and completely unable to do anything due to bad health.

Age is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

By this classification my mother has been 'old' for at least 33yrs which is more than a third of her life! It is silly to categorise if my mother and I are in the same catagory- she wasn't even a young mother when she had me.

I would put under 25yrs = young
40-50yrs = middle age
80+ = old

There doesn't appear to be a catagory for 25-40 yrs or 50- 80 yrs.

Your physical age may be quite different from your chronological age. I am going to be fitter than an obese 20 yr old who does no exercise. Your mental age is different again- some people are very set in their ways at 20 yrs.

It's so irritating to see all these "I'm 107 and I'm not old because I go clubbing in my Top Shop clothes" posts. Each and every one reinforces the idea that 'old' means past it, useless, out of touch, and so on.

What's wrong with being OLD and fit, healthy, into music & fashion? Nothing: it's one way of being old, just as it's one way of being young.

What about all the young people who choose not to do that stuff, and all the young people who can't do it through disability? Are we re-defining them as old at 19?

Heh, cross-posted with you doing exactly that, Mehi - re-defining 'old' as a lifestyle rather than number of years lived.

But, but ... an old teenager still only has a teenager's life experience. 70 years of learning stuff is not to be dismissed, you know.

I agree that health makes a real difference.

I'm 39 and not likely to live to 50 sadly for my 5DC and my DH.My health has really deteriorated in the past 6 years and I'm in a wheelchair and have suffered brain damage that usually affects people that are 80+ years old.My DH's nan is amazing she is 91 and still goes to zumber every week. I think it's amazing that people can live to be over 90 some over 100 and still be really healthy and active.What I wouldn't give for that chance.

I'm really sorry ohtheholidays Really shows that getting old is no bad thing - how ridiculous we are to worry about wrinkles.

Thank you Pootles2010 .I've always said it's a privilege to get to old age not a right.It would be lovely though if everyone could age and not get any of the dreaded conditions that can go hand in hand with an older age.