(C) Common Dreams
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Exploring the Health Effects of Ageism [1]
['Paula Span']
Date: 2022-04-23
Among the mementos in Dr. Levy’s small office at Yale is a treasured photo of her and Dr. Butler, who died in 2010. One could argue that she is his heir.
A psychologist and epidemiologist, Dr. Levy has demonstrated — in more than 140 published articles over 30 years and in a new book, “Breaking the Age Code” — that ageism results in more than hurt feelings or even discriminatory behavior. It affects physical and cognitive health and well-being in measurable ways and can take years off one’s life.
“Just as we have learned in recent decades that structures are biased against women and people of color, leading to worsened health outcomes, she has shown that negative feelings about old age lead to bad outcomes in older people,” said Dr. Louise Aronson, a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco, and author of the best-selling book “Elderhood.”
Another memento in Dr. Levy’s office is a card on her bulletin board that reads, “Ask Me About 7.5.” The souvenir came from a Wisconsin anti-ageism campaign and refers to her 2002 longevity study, which for two decades followed hundreds of residents older than 50 in a small Ohio town. The study found that median survival was seven and a half years longer for those with the most positive beliefs about aging, compared with those having the most negative attitudes.
“I use that in practically every talk I give because it’s shocking,” said Tracey Gendron, who chairs the gerontology department at Virginia Commonwealth University and credits Dr. Levy’s work in “Ageism Unmasked,” her own recent book. “She’s truly been a pioneer.”
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[1] Url:
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/23/health/ageism-levy-elderly.html
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