10 Facts About Growing Old That May Surprise You

No doubt you have heard the old adage that there are only two certainties in life, death and taxes. There is a third certainty, of course: aging. From the moment we are born until the instant before we die, we are getting older. The world may be meant for the young, but it is the old who are increasingly populating it. There are over 45 million people who are 65 or older in the United States, almost 15% of the population. By 2040, that figure is expected to grow to over 21%. Women outnumber men in this demographic, 127 older women to every 100 older men.

Not only are we getting older, we are living longer as old people. In 2014, there were more than 72,000 men and women age 100 or over, more than double the number in 1980. Babies born in 2014 can expect to make it to almost 79, three decades more than their counterparts a century ago. In all of human history, of all the people who ever lived to be 65 years old, half of them are alive today. 

Despite the fact that we are surrounded by old people, there is much we don’t understand about aging. We seem to fear the day when we look in the mirror to discover we have joined the ranks of the old, with sagging bodies, turkey necks and aching joints. But fear not! There is much to learn about aging; sure there are some downsides, but surprisingly, there's a lot to look forward to. Here are 10 facts about aging that will cheer you up (and perhaps give you pause)....
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