Baby Boomers and the Ageing Revolution
Live tweets of our session at the British Science Festival, Bradford, September 12 2011. Featuring Penelope Mason and Kenneth Howse from University of Oxford and Dawn Skelton from Glasgow Caledonian University. Chaired by Geoff Watts, BBC Radio 4.
And we're off! Dr Geoff Watts introduces #babyboomers. He is one himself! p.s. filter out the hashtag if you don't want to see these tweets.- Over the next 20 years, the number of centenarians is expected to quadruple! But is this a good thing? #babyboomers
- There are more people in the UK who are over 60 than there are under 18. #babyboomers
- Kenneth Howse from Oxford up now, with "Living longer in ageing societies". What does population ageing mean for society? #babyboomers
- Ken notes he's not a physiologist! But social scientist giving context to wht physiological process of ageing means to society. #babyboomers
- Japan was the world's "oldest country" in 2010: 22.5% of population over 65. UK had 16.5%. #babyboomers
- Pensions, health care and long term care are biggest public expenditures on the older population. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Average health care expenditure on a person over 85 is over £4,000. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Ken shows D. Willetts's "The Pinch: How the baby boomers took their children's future and why they should give it back" #babyboomers #bsf11
- Ken: Japan, Germany and Mediterranean & Eastern European countries will have major problems with ageing before UK. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Geoff: does gvmnt take this seriously? Ken: pensions taken seriously. NHS not fit for purpose as is (ie. hospital based) #babyboomers #bsf11
- Ken: ageing pop. like climate change! Gvmnt don't like doing things difficult to "sell" now that will benefit future. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Ageing is "Progressive loss of function over time that increases probability of death". Sounds like a @standupmaths gig! #babyboomers #bsf11
- Two major killers of people are heart disease and cancer. Penelope suggests ageing is no different - we should cure it. #babyboomers #bsf11
- By trying to cure ageing we are also trying to cure cataracts, brittle bones, Alzheimer's etc. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Penelope: We need to understand molecular basis of ageing so we know how to cure it. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Breathing is incredibly bad for us! Respiration using oxygen produces free radicals which are damaging. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Penelope Mason: "There is no point making people live to 120, on a hospital drip for last 50 yrs, compos *not* mentis." #babyboomers #bsf11
- Penelope studies children who have Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria (LMNA) - a disease that causes premature ageing. #babyboomers #bsf11
- What can we do to increase lifespan but maintain health? Meditation? Human growth hormone? Caloric restriction? #babyboomers #bsf11
- Studies show stress can be biologically ageing, so perhaps meditation could work! #babyboomers #bsf11
- Resveratol can reverse ageing - and it's found in red wine! Except you'd need to drink 200 glasses a day to have effect. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Hara hachi bu (腹八分) is a Confucian teaching practised in Okinawa that instructs people to eat until they are 80% full. #babyboomers #bsf11
- Almost 29% of Okinawans live to be 100, about four times the average in western countries. #babyboomers #bsf11
