Getting old involves psychical and psychological changes in human body. Human development is associated with aging. Just like the way an individual develops from childhood to adult hood, the same way the individual develops from adulthood to old age. Many people complain of getting old. The alternative is neither better, but many people prefer remaining young and use all means to ensure they appear young. However the attitude toward old age differs with culture. In American culture, every thing good or nice is associated with youth.
People in American culture usually makes relates their arguments and comments with youth. This is quite different in Arabian culture. They value and respect the old, and the young are expected to obey and consider the old people as their role model. Actually the alternative of getting old worse than getting getting old but many people holds negative attitude towards aging. The negative attitude is based on the physical and psychological changes which occurs as individual age.
These people fear to grow old on basis they want to retain their beauty, and attractive characteristics which are eroded by aging. Although this is true, it does not mean getting old has negatives only, apart from being better than the alternative, getting old has various benefits. The process of getting old. Normal individual develops both physically and psychologically. Old age or rather late adult hood is the life period in individuals that follows the period of his or her life after about fifty five years of age.
The process of growing old marks the period, the process is characterized by failure of body cells to function normally or to regenerate to replace those that are malfunctioning, or dead. The subsequent significant psychological, cognitive, and physical changes. The changes include cardiovascular and digestive malfunctioning, impaired memory functioning, depression, malfunctioning of majority of senses, loss of teeth and poor distribution of hair among other changes.
The physical changes are easily seen, and usually consist the changes in the skin, hair, and posture among others. Hair of most people is characterized by gray color, which eventually turns white, with increased chances of thinning out, and reduced distribution. The skin covering the body loses the underlying fatty layer, making the skin to loose the normal elasticity, and subsequent wrinkles. Aging process greatly influences the posture of individuals the body organs under go changes in their composition where by less cells are formed to support the upward posture.
The process results to change in posture, making old people to adapt a bent posture. Blood vessels harden and shrink as the age advances, making the heart to extra work in order to supply the body with the required volume of blood. In most cases the heart is overloaded and becomes hard for it to fully compensate. Failure to supply sufficient volume usually interferes normal functioning of the heart and lungs. Changes in the physical composition of a human body are related to changes in the psychological set up.
The out ward physical changes increases with increase in internal changes, and the functioning of the body. As age advances individuals psychological changes increases affecting the functioning of the body organs (Crimmins and Yasuhiko 1993, pp. 28). For example depression associated with advances in age, has great influence on individual’s health, the sense and functioning of the personal mastery is reduced, and the individuals commitment is reduce.