Body image: Are we looking forward to aging?
We have come to the last post in our Body Image series. It’s been a interesting journey of discovery as to how we view ourselves.
Let’s do a quick recap, before we tackle our final question from the Silver & Grace Body Image Survey.
No, we don’t! Over 60% of us do not love our bodies. And it turns out it is the younger gals who are the least impressed.
Are we willing to go under the knife?
We may not love our bodies,but nor are we willing to do anything surgical about it.
Apparently, we are not. Over 60% of the respondants do not currently consider themselves sexy.
Actually, no surprise here. Love our legs, breasts, face and hair. Anything to do with hips, butt, and stomach. Nope!
Who do we compare ourselves to?
No illusions here. We do not compare ourselves to media images, nor to women younger than ourselves. Just to our peers.
Are we satisfied with our weight?
Only about 10% of us are happy with our weight. The rest of us are watching the numbers on the scale, hoping they will go down.
And now to answer the final survey question.
Are we looking forward to aging?
Bear in mind as we go through this analysis, the average life expectancy for females is age 80.
So, let’s started with the eldest amongst us.
In the age 70 and over crowd, two-thirds are okay with the aging process, while the other third dread it. It would be interesting to know if this one-third is dealing with failing health. At this age, I would imagine this could be quite alarming.
Our 60 to 69 year olds were split evenly between being okay with the aging process and begrudgingly accepting it. Nobody loved it and nobody dreaded it. Nice and middle of the road.
Onto our 50 to 59 year olds. Almost half are okay with aging. The other half begrudgingly accept it. A handful dread it, and one dear soul loves aging. You go, girl!
Moving on to those who have lived approximately half their lives, the 40 to 49 year olds. Almost all of them are okay with aging process. A small handful begrudgingly accept it. And one loves it. Again … you go, girl!
Last, but certainly not least, the young ‘uns. The under 40 group.
Half begrudgingly accept the aging process. The other half dread it. Except for that one lone voice who loves it. She also gets a you go, girl!
Notice that nobody under the age of 40 is okay with the aging process. They are either resigned to it, or fear it.
Ladies, it ain’t all that bad! Look what your older sisters have to say. Once you get over 40, you no longer dread aging.
Personally, I fall into the ‘I am okay with aging process’ group. At age 47, I have my wrinkles. If I pull a muscle, it takes longer to heal. I wear glasses for reading. I have inexplicable aches and pains that come and go. ‘
But I am stronger than I have ever been in my life. Not so much physically, but I have learned stick-to-it-tive-ness. So, while I can’t lift and haul as much at any given time, I will work at it longer. And while I can’t run the way I used to, I can go for an over 2 hour power walk and not get bored.
Ask me how old I am, and I have to do the math. The number of my age means absolutely nothing to me.
It’s not like I feel 25 or 30 or 40. It’s just that how long I have lived, and how long I have to live is not even a consideration.
I simply am.
And I will leave you all with this:
You’re not supposed to walk into your grave perfectly preserved,
made up,
and hair in place!
No!
Slide in sideways,
body completely used up,
martini in one hand,
chocolate bar in the other screaming,
“what a ride!”
Your turn:
Name one thing you are looking forward to as you age.
Name one thing you are not looking forward to as you age.
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Name one thing you are looking forward to as you age: Less guilt and more personal power
Name one thing you are not looking forward to as you age: Facial hair
1 thing I am looking forward to as I age is the ease at which I can carry myself. It will certainly get to the point where no matter what, I will look “older”, have wrinkles, and grey hair. and, there is something about that which cries out to me. At that phase of my life, I will “have to let go” of the struggle to look a certain way. That actually brings me peace and today at age 42, I strive to embrace that “letting go” now as I maintain my health and natural beauty.
1 think I am not looking forward to as I age are the aches and pains. The thought of one day being say, 90, and having to use a walker or being wheel chair bound. So, today I do my best to make good choices… eat healthy, drink lots of water and exercise so that I can travel the world when I’m older and enjoy a vibrant old age.
@Lori – ah yes, guilt. Had a lot of that I was carrying around. In particular Mom Guilt. After many tearful conversations with my children once they were young adults, I was able to let that go. Whew! What a big load off that was! As for facial hair, it is now part of my daily routine to check for hair that has no business being where it is.
@Susan – welcome! I let my hair go completely gray at the age you are now. It was so incredibly freeing. I don’t look in the mirror and see gray hair. I look in the mirror and see my natural wild Irish curls, which I have come to love. Oddly the lines on my face don’t bother me, but my hands really do. Strange that, eh? I keep thinking my hands look really old, and yet they do so much for me, so I try and honour them.
I used to be fearful of being restricted in old age by a walker or wheelchair, but I have my cousin as a role model. He’s my age (47) and has been in a wheelchair since a diving accident at the age of 27. He lives alone and travels all over the world, quite often unaccompanied by an assistant. We plan on having wheelchair races at age 90. That being said, like you, I take care of my body to keep it strong for as long as possible. And if my parents are any example, I’ll stick be kicking butt for a good long time yet