When Does Someone Become Old? Scientists Reveals the Fact

Jakarta – Once people are past middle age, they’re old. That’s how life progresses: You’re young, you’re middle-aged, then you’re old.

Obviously calling someone old is generally not considered polite, because the word, accurate though it might be, is frequently considered pejorative. It’s a label that people tend to shy away from.

A recent study found that we tend to perceive old age as starting later than before, although this trend may not be consistent.

Scientists from Germany, the United States, and Luxembourg analyzed data from over 14,000 participants in the German Ageing Survey.

Participants born between 1911 and 1974 provided up to eight responses over 25 years, when their ages ranged from 40 to 100 years.

One of the main questions, and the subject of this new paper, was "At what age do you describe someone as old?"

When asked this question at the age of 65, those born in 1911 said that old age on average begins at age 71.

When the question was repeated to those born in 1956 when they also reached the age of 65, they instead set the threshold three years later, at 74 years old.

In a statement, lead author Markus Wettstein offered some suggestions as to why this might be happening: "Life expectancy has increased, which may contribute to the onset of old age later in life. Additionally, some aspects of health have improved over time, so people at certain ages who were once considered old may no longer be seen as old today."