I don’t believe ageing is linear. Instead, I think we experience long plateaux followed by sudden changes. This was my experience at 31 when I looked in the mirror and barely recognised myself. It’s as if one day I was young and healthy, and the next, everything fell apart – including my knee.
Research has caught up with this phenomenon, identifying three peaks of ageing: 44, 58, and 78. These ages coincide with changes in proteins associated with wound healing, metabolism, mental health, age-related brain conditions, and immune function. It seems that Parisian life took its toll on me at the time.
This new research confirms my hunch about ageing being non-linear. But what does it mean for us? One possibility is that preventive screening could become more targeted. However, I think we need science to offer more compensatory good news. While we know we’ll cheer up post-50 according to the happiness bell curve, when will we reach a point where we stop caring about what others think?
Scientists may soon be able to provide this answer. A new study aims to pinpoint exactly when we’ll experience that liberating moment of self-acceptance. Having something to look forward to could be a welcome distraction from the physical decline that comes with ageing.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/22/why-worry-about-your-body-falling-apart-at-44-or-60-when-you-could-fret-about-your-brain-at-58-or-70