"Young Gymnasts Tumbling and Vaulting Their Way to the ER"

Through this article about young gymnasts (U.S. News, 4/4/08)we see that the pressures of competition are being placed on children at younger and younger ages. This certainly has negative impacts on their growth, not only physically, but socially, psychologically, and emotionally. Sure a full twisting double layout is cool to do by age 10, but what about the detrimental effects that it’s training places on the body? Not so cool by age 30. The article outlines the different injuries and their frequencies. The study’s results showed that about five out of every 1,000 gymnasts between the ages of 6 and 17 acquired injuries “serious enough to require acute care.” The research shows that emergency rooms have been incredibly busy tending to strains, sprains, fractures, and dislocations. And let’s be reminded that this study only observed the ER.

As Grudziak says, “"It's unbelievable what kids are doing now compared to 20 years ago, but kids' bodies are still the same.” 6- and 7-year-old gymnasts perform like teenagers. Teenagers are expected to be professionals. These expectations ultimately have detrimental consequences, stunting and perhaps even eliminating the “growing up process” that is of great importance to all of us.

A Few from the NY Times

I found two interesting pieces on the Times this morning.  The first, courtesy of the AP, situates the recent Democrat-Republican spats over who deserves the highly valued elderly voting block.  Democrats seem exasperated. They're the ones who invented Medicare and other major entitlement programs, but they are now playing catch-up as seniors increasingly doubt Obama's health-care initiatives. What kind of ground are the Republicans--who have pushed for major cuts in Medicare in the past, even suggesting that it could be phased out--standing on here?  Maybe it's the way they harness a "contractive" and a "bill-of-rights" kind of language that allows them to appear as earnest defenders of senior citizens.

The other, unrelated piece deals with the emergence of geriatric care managers; these individuals can save a family a good deal of time and effort by serving as a kind of mediator both between siblings as they try to take care of aging relatives, and between those siblings and the individual in need of care themselves.  A geriatric care manager is a voice of authority and reason, directing what is an enormously taxing process--both financially and emotionally.  These are precisely the kinds of positions that I think will experience huge growth over the next few decades as the boomers launch into retirement.

"Woman in Embryo Mix-up Gives Birth to Boy"

(26 Sept. 2009, CNN) "Whoops" doesn't quite cut it in this situation! Imagine getting a call from the doctor letting you know that the baby you have been trying to conceive is actually not yours. The ethical thing to do next? I don't think anyone could be so sure...

The Savage family faced such a predicament after a clinic implanted the wrong embryo into Carolyn Savage's uterus. Although Carolyn decided to go through with the pregnancy as a surrogate, such a story serves as a stark reminder of the possibilities and disasters that technology brings, especially in an age where today's latest discovery will most likely be outdated tomorrow.

The mid-life panic that many women face when they find they're married and childless has been alleviated by reproductive technology to a certain extent. Today's generation of women are holding off on getting married, deciding to have children later in life. In certain respects, this broadens their scope of opportunities by allowing more time to prioritize goals. However, let's prepare ourselves for the possibility that things may go wrong when women tamper with artificial reproduction techniques.

...The option of deciding your child's physical characteristics? Eye color? Height? All I can say is that society will have to take the crash course on technological creation one step at a time.

Dermatage: anti-wrinkle miracle?

Concerned about those dark circles under your eyes? Do you hate the deep forehead creases? Dermatage is the one and only product that "rejuvalines" and produces the smoothest and ageless skin on your face. Read the success stories on Dermatage.

Why are wrinkles perceived as such a negative aspect of one's physical appearance? Why not embrace these distinct features that make us who we are?

More Cougar Fallout

Came across this piece by Judith Warner in the NY Times--it's a tantalizingly vitriolic review, not only of Cox's new ABC vehicle, Cougar Town, but of the cougar phenomenon that is descending upon American culture. The occasional pseudo-feminist language of the show, for Warner, fails to mask its severe exaggeration of what society often deems as predictable female mid-life tendencies, among which, Warner notes, are "their fears of getting older, losing sexual power, ending up on the slag heap of social desirability." Most women, of course--especially the newly divorced or singles in cougar cohort--don't succumb to this fate. Warner's devastating final words say it best:

"It’s girls-gone-wild feminism for 40-somethings. It’s ridiculous and belittling and it stinks of another round of backlash. In the Cougar fantasy, in the figure of a woman who uses her younger mate to puff up her vanity and enhance her sense of power and control, you find all the most cartoonish aspects of boorish middle-aged masculinity. I’m sure we can generate better fantasies for ourselves."

"The Funny Thing About Growing Old"

(The Human Experience, Stanford University) Think you know what the elderly are really talking about when we're not around? Apparently, I wasn't aware of the true topics of elderly Asian women's behind-the-scenes conversations. Click here to find out.

Yoshiko Matsumoto's research of the dialogue that takes place between elderly Japanese women has served to dispel many of the stereotypes we have of this age group and culture. Instead of the mundane subjects one might expect these women to discuss, Matsumoto has found through tape-recorded conversations that subjects run the gamut from death to physical attraction. Wow.

Appearances are often deceiving. The "funny thing" is that often times the conclusions we make about others simply based on their age or culture couldn't be more false. How do we avoid these misconceptions as we delve into the study of age and aging?

Should Men Wear Makeup?

"Should Men Wear Makeup?" Despite the motley tangents the writer Douglas Cooney chooses to veer off to in this article, it's essentially bringing to light the fact that men wearing makeup has become increasingly popular, whether it's the teen sensation High School Musical heartthrob Zac Efron, the middle aged white collar worker trapped in his cubicle, or Mr. John Doe strolling nonchalantly down the street. Let's face it, women are not the only ones obsessing about their beauty anymore. An exuberant amount of men are increasingly becoming more and more conscientious about the crow feet underneath their eyes or parentheses wrinkle lines by their mouth, which could be the difference between them appearing to be a mid-20s bachelor on top of his game and an early 30s man prowling the scene. I think we should just accept the aging process for what it is and stop trying to force ourselves to fit the archetype of an individual who ages "gracefully" on society's terms. Like Cooney said, "There is something admirable about the man [or woman] who takes his [or her] imperfections with grace and carries on with his [or her] life."

Treating Hair Loss and Premature Grey Hair

"Treating Hair Loss and Premature Grey Hair" 2009. In a nutshell, this piece discussed the statistics of balding and premature grey hair found in men and women. It also expounds upon how the market is flooded with a profuse amount of phony products promising to cure these genetic conditions and how to identify the potency of these products. Since when did going grey become a negative thing? I remember a time when we looked up to the elders who proudly exhibited their grey manes. These manes signified the type of wisdom only attainable through age & experience. Maybe the reason why we are so quick to conceal our signs of aging such as balding and grey hairs is because they are reminders of our youthfulness slowly slipping out of our grasp, leaving us to take what has become the walk-of-shame into old age.

"Can Multivitamins Prolong Life"

Can Multivitamins Prolong Life? Pharmaceutical News and Articles:May 18, 2009

This article describes the effects of multivitamins and the results of the many people that are drawn to these vitamins. According to the article, "multivitamin use was associated with longer leukocyte telomeres, compared with nonusers, daily multivitaminusers had, on average, 5.1 percent longer leukocyte telomeres". If these vitamins are as successful as the article makes them to be, why aren't more people trying to extend their life? Why are mostly women attracted to multivitamins?

Life Call Commercial

This video shows the now notorious "Life Call Commercial", most noted for coining the pop culture catchphrase, "I've fallen and I can't get up!" My search of this phrase on youtube yielded hundreds of results, almost all of which were humorous interpretations of the originial commercial. What is most to me interesting is how our culture has taken a very serious topic- elderly people hurting themselves in their homes- and turned it into a laughing matter. In the United States, commercials, movies, and other forms of media featuring elderly individuals often have a humorous tone to them, whether intentional or not. I'm curious as to why our culture so often chooses to laugh at depictions of old age. Is it because we are afraid of our own mortality, and are merely delivering a nervous laugh to assuage the uncomfortable feeling? Do we fear the inevitability of our eventual decline into a similar state as depicted, and thus feel that we might as well just laugh while we still can? I'd be interested in exploring what other cultures, if any, also depict old age in the media as something to laugh at.

"GOP Tees Up Medicare Manifesto"

GOP Tees Up Medicare Manifesto. The Wall Street Journal, August 25, 2009. The obvious topic of this article is the Repulicans' offering of a "senior's health care bill of rights" in the midst of the heated health care debate. In this proposal, Republicans promise to protect Medicare from cuts they say exist within the Democratic health care bill. However, beyond just this political move, this article provides excellent examples of the importance of the elderly as a political demographic. The article discusses how both Democrats and Republicans have tried tirelessly to essentially convince the elderly that they are "on their side." As an age group that votes in huge percentages, it makes sense that the opinions of the elderly are critical in Washington, dealing with health care and many other issues. What struck me most about this article is how ambiguous the potential impact of the currently proposed health care bill on Medicare is. Virtually no one, it seems, can articulate how Medicare would change, except that costs would be reduced. Another thing that I found interesting was how the AARP, an organization advocating for the rights of senior citizen, came out against this Republican measure. While the organization's rationale is eventually explained, the surface irony of the AARP opposing a measure with "senior bill of rights" in the title did make me chuckle; politics is never boring or predictable.

This video depicts how many teens are trying to grow up too fast. I understand the tension of children who want to be like their favorite teen idol or movie star and have products that are carefully marketed to them. But in my opinion, there should be great concern over the many teens that are maturing way to fast!

Teen Celebrity Entrepreneurs

This article (Forbes, 5/28/09) highlights the marketing potential of youth, as it showcases teenage celebrities who rake in huge profits by catering largely to a young audience. The language throughout this article continually stresses the teenagers' profitability, as it describes them as "brand builders" who have "bagged endorsements, raised money for charity, and even sold their personal stories to the tabloids," all phrases that note the young stars' money making ability. I thought it was interesting how corporations such as Disney have learned the enormous profitability of using youth to market to youth. I would be interested in exploring whether countries other than the U.S. also have a significant number of teenage entrepreneurs, as I am curious if this phenomenon is just a byproduct of our culture's reverence of younger generations, coupled with our extreme capitalist mindset, or part of a universal human fascination with youth.

"Care of the Elderly"

Care of the Elderly July 10, 2008. BBC Radio (UK). This article details the efforts of reporter Jon Manuel to investigate the treatment of elderly patients in British hospital wards and nursing care facilities. Through a series of undercover investigations (which can be examined in more length via links within the article), Jon and his accomplices find that elderly patients are often lonely and severely neglected by nursing home staff. For example, one testimonial focuses on the lack of proper enforcement from the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). This story highlights the disturbing ways that a lack of proper health code inspection and, furthermore, enforcement of health code policies can indeed be fatal. Personally, the story that struck me most powerfully was the "Diary of a Social Worker" portion. During this account from a social worker, the neglect of elderly hospital patients is brought to light. One resident is not informed or consulted in any way during her stay. This leads me to question why society thinks that elderly patients cannot think for themselves. They are often perfectly capable of understanding their situations and expressing concerns. Therefore, does society take away the authority of the elderly sick because they are no longer "productive" in society? Clearly, this article led me to more questions than answers.

Dara Torres- A Swimmer of a Certain Age

This article (New York Times, 6/28/09) features Olympic swimmer Dara Torres, who, at 41, became the oldest female swimmer to complete at the Olympic Games. What first captured my attention in this article the New York Times's selection of the headline, "A Swimmer of a Certain Age." I thought the choice of phrasing in the headline set the tone for the rest of the article, as it gave a sense that Torres is far beyond what is normal, giving her achievements an almost freakish and unnatural connotation. The author continually emphasizes the wear and tear Torres's body has undergone, referencing her myriad scars, frequent operations, and the extensive team that works to preserve her aging body. I thought it was also interesting how the author mentioned the story of the teammate who didn't want to hug Torres for fear he might "mess something up," an anecdote that implies that her body is decrepit and vulnerable to destruction at any time. To me, the article painted a picture of physical aging as a brutal, decaying force, one that slowly and steadily wears the body down. I think this tone stems from the fact that the article focuses on an athlete, and the realm of athletics places the highest premium on youth and physical vitality.

In Need of Psychiatric Care, and Resisting

"In Need of Psychiatric Care, and Resisting" In our culture death is not always a widely discussed or widely embraced subject, nor are the stuggles of the elderly to cope with it. Not everyone walks quietly into the light; some go kicking and screaming much like they came into this world. A favorite of mind who writes extensively on the subject (whose work I could not find a good link to) is Oliver Sacks, and I'd highly recommend looking into his publishings.Also of interest with this article is it raises a question of cultural and religious significance: Of how great of consequence is aging in the presence of an after life? For example in many Latin American countries, death is neither feared nor fought against. Indeed, they have a holiday celebrating it.

Diet thwarts Aging?

Reduced diet thwarts aging, disease in monkeys

July 9, 2009

Who would ever think of putting monkeys on a diet? In society, dieting has become a popular trend for the past few decades. It is supposed to offer health benefits such as preventing chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer) and maintain an attractive, fit physique. Now this conjecture has been proven correct through dieting monkeys. Reduce 30% calorie intake and live a longer life.

This is an enlightening discovery. Researcher Richard Weindruch commented that the diet experiment has been able to prevent diabetes in the monkeys, which is a prevalent disease millions of Americans are suffering from today. If this study continues to produce stable results, there is great hope for its application to human dieting and health.

When I Grow Up

When I Grow Up- Kaiser Permanente Ad



Want to feel like a woman and recapture your youth...again at the age of 65+? Get a mammogram and it'll do the trick. This commercial advertises one of the medical benefits the hospital can offer to elder women, mammograms. The short video shows the potential "happy and healthy" results that elderly women can achieve from the test such as cheer-leading, kart-wheeling, tap dancing, casual drinking, and bowling. One's health shouldn't prevent one from feeling youthful.


Although this commercial made me feel happy for the old women who are, I'm assuming, breast cancer free, I feel the ad targets too specific of an age group. Hospitals are not just for old women. A huge population is excluded from this "experience." The song "when I group up" in the background makes me feel old, which is not the type of emotion or reaction the audience should be feeling. Maybe this response was just unique to me, however let me know what you all think of this commercial and how it relates to "aging."

"Taking Care of Parents Also Means Taking Care of Finances" NYTimes, Sep 18, 09

"Taking Care of Parents Means Taking Care of Finances" This article discusses the financial constraints an aging population puts, not on the welfare system, but on the family unit, and ways to cope with them. It raises an interesting juxtaposition (that many comedians have noticed), that as parents age they often require childlike care and can become childlike in manner, thus forcing their offspring to care for them.

Sarah Palin with Bristol and Baby

(30 Dec. 2008, The Guardian) This image depicts Sarah Palin and her son in addition to Bristol Palin and Bristol's boyfriend. The photo was taken during the past presidential campaign soon after the news that Bristol had given birth was leaked to the media. Yikes!

Isn't it fascinating how wrapped up Americans and the world became in the story of Bristol's relationship and pregnancy? Seeing this photo, I can't help but speculate how the commotion caused by Bristol's pregnancy may or may not have influenced the outcome of the 2008 campaign race. In addition to reiterating the expectations that society holds of individuals of certain age groups, particularly teenagers, I believe this image represents the judgmental, discriminatory views that certain age groups often have. I, for one, don't like being placed in a box simply because of my age. Who does?

When someone is raised female and the genes say XY (Associated Press - 9/11/2009)

When someone is raised female and the genes say XY

This article is about the gender-questioning of 2009's 800m World Championship winner, Caster Semenya. Genetic gender tests show that she has a "disorder of sexual development;" though she was raised a female, her body exhibits some male tendencies. This article explores the scientific realities of Semenya's disorder and decries the public humiliation Semenya is experiencing due to her condition. Semenya's sexual development disorder is a wild challenge to the societal norms of aging. Her story is considered bizarre and unsettling because her condition is so contrary to the biological and genetic "age pyramid" of the normal human being. Many question her humanity exactly because she ages so differently. This article relies heavily on scientific explanation as a rhetorical strategy. With all these high and mighty scientists giving their informed opinion on Semenya's condition, the article's support for Semenya gets some major sex appeal, both believable and persuasive. Semenya's story draws me in because she is a direct refutation of gender, genetic and biological aging, a blazing contradiction that is glaringly taboo in its rarity.

"Aging Body, Unchanging Spirit"

In the article, "Aging Body, Unchanging Spirit" posted on Beliefnet, the author, Lisa Schneider,

interviews the author Andrew Weil about his new book Healthy Aging. Throughout its entirety, his holistic ideas on aging are contrasted with that of the majority of society. After reading this interview, I felt that Weil was saying to cherish and make the most of everyday. It is okay to look towards the future, but only so much can be controlled. It is better to make the best of a present situation and accept reality. Weil states, "Aging can increase value by concentrating what is most worthy and by allowing what's inconsequential to dissipate." What he means is to embrace the aging process and renounce materialism because in the end, appearances and the fear of death will remain evil nemeses. It's also fascinating to note that Weil supports much buddhist philosophy.

Layoffs May Become Good Things for Young Entrepreneurs

(9 Sept. 2009, CNN) Scores of talented individuals have been laid off as a result of the current economic recession. As the large number of unemployed individuals in their 30s seek new career alternatives, they notably look for opportunity within the realm of entrepreneurship. This article offers concrete unemployment statistics as well as abstract ideas regarding the current pursuits of the jobless.

Although the article covers an age group different than my own, I wonder about my situation as a student during these turbulent economic times. How will the people of my generation cope with outside, uncontrollable forces? Only time will tell the opportunities that may or may not arise due to the current state of the economy.

An Alarm From 2055: Act Now to Save the Earth (NY Times - 7/17/2009)

An Alarm From 2055: Act Now to Save the Earth

This article was a review of the movie "The Age of Stupid." The movie foretells the doom of the world if humanity continues its "age of stupidity" and continues to effect climate change with our evil ways, complete with terrifying scenes of destruction! The review explains the featured interviewees and supports the movie's warnings with vivid figurative language and lauding character descriptions. I thought this movie touched on the generational thinking we mentioned in class, in fact giving another name to our generation, and discreetly highlighted the rhetorical strategy that we'd be more likely to support the point of view of faces of authority (because who could disagree with the aged - surely wise! - "craggy-faced British actor Pete Postlethwaite"?). To me however, the movie's format seemed too much a dooms-day prophet's theatrical attempt to horrify and despair rather than a useful tool of education. While the review lists various learned people who appear with climate change messages, the messages are tainted with the idea that it might be "too late to act." However, its use of rhetoric to convey its message is admireable.

"Youth & Aging" Tales of Mere Existence

"Youth & Aging" Tales of Mere Existence

This video discusses the stigmatism of aging and the longing for a rebirth of youth. It is called "'Youth & Aging' Tales of Mere Existence" and is found on youtube.

Throughout the piece, older characters are juxtaposed against those of youth. The comparisons mock the evidence of aging: baldness, class reunions, divorces, midlife crisis, etc. Many of the other characters find themselves longing to return to their childhoods or are haunted by traumatic experiences during that time and want to seek revenge on all youth. This clash between these two demographic groups demonstrate great misunderstanding and prejudice/stereotypes among them. It's interesting to note the role that media plays in influencing these views. The magazine that the accountant reads causes him to compare his "older" age to that of the "younger" successful writer. This example evokes a sense of meaningless to that character's life and longing to be successful (become youthful to attempt to make something more of himself).

At the end of the video the narrator states: "the reason why old people become nostalgic about youth is because when they were young, they didn't know how things would turn out yet." I thought this was a pretty profound statement. Most parents warn their children what and what not to do to avoid unnecessary mistakes. In addition, those children, for the most part, ignore their parents' advice and make the mistakes anyways. I always wondered what the world would be like if everyone were to learn off the mistakes of others. Those that have experienced environments and events that others haven't obviously are wiser and can give great insight to a certain situation.

Another quote I found interesting was "youth is lost when the saying 'anything is possible' is replaced with 'a lot less is possible than I originally thought and isn't worth bothering with.'" This quote makes me wonder why adults seem to become easily discouraged and less enthusiastic about taking risks and exposing themselves to new situations. Are they scared of failure because they have experienced more of it?

In a Place of Dying, Slight Shadows of Life (NY Times)

I found this article on the New York Times, while searching for news about hospice. Written by a man whose wife has been placed in hospice care, the author succinctly describes his visits with his wife as well as the looming prospect of death for both of them. What struck me most about the article was the joy the author took from his wife's lucid moments (or as he phrases it in the title "slight shadows of life") despite the reality that her death, as well as his, may be imminent.

A new sitcom--Cougar Town--with Courtney Cox. I'm not sure what to make of this. Is it new, or have their been shows like this in the past? It reminds me of a CNN clip I saw while waiting for my plane. It was a story about Miss Cougar USA and something called a Cougar Cruise.

Here's the image I was talking about--this is the old Dutch woodcut. A google search for "ages of man" or "ages of woman" will direct you to other examples (in English). What's up with the skeleton? There's so much background symbolism going on here with the props, the owl, the trees that frame the image. Click the image to see an enlarged version...

"Experiencing Life, Briefly, Inside a Nursing Home," NY Times, August 24 2009. This is a fascinating piece about a med-school program that is pioneering a program where students liven in a nursing home for around 10 days. They become dependents: they are bathed, they are fed, they are wheelchair-bound. This attention to rehabilitation and end-of-life care is so crucial, yet the article notes that most medical schools don't require courses in geriatric medicine, and student interest is low as practicing such medicine is not as lucrative. Reading this, I kept thinking of all kinds of areas--education and medicine come to mind--where those who might work with populations that are in the greatest need often face the greatest number of obstacles, including lower compensation and lower cultural prestige.