Why stressing about aging shortens your life | Ashton Applewhite

Dementia, disrespect, and loneliness – that is not your future, says aging expert Ashton Applewhite. - The best anti-aging advice? Stop stereotyping old people! Cultural messaging about the pitfalls of old age causes undue stress that prematurely ages the brain and shortens life spans. - People who have a positive outlook on aging can live 7.5 years longer than those who buy into cultural stereotypes about getting old. I - t's important to look at the positives of aging, not just the risk factors: Alzheimer's rates are declining, 'mental sifting' can make us wiser, and older workers injure themselves less often than younger workers. Ashton Applewhite is a Brooklyn-based activist and writer. Her latest book, This Chair Rocks: A Manifesto Against Ageism, debunks many myths about late life (https://goo.gl/Ln6idn) Read more at BigThink.com: http://bit.ly/2IX4Ay3 Follow Big Think here: YouTube: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5 Facebook: http://bit.ly/1qJMX5g Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigthink