Healthy Ageing Debate

Healthy Ageing; growing older in a healthy and active way!

On average people are living longer. However, a rise in life expectancy does not automatically mean more healthy years of life. To help ensure that all additional years of life are also spent in good health, the UMCG has opted to place Healthy Ageing as its operational focus.

Healthy Ageing is a lifelong activity that starts at conception, with parents who pass on their genes and with them the risks and opportunities for a healthy life course, or the occurrence of illness later in life. Lifestyle, food patterns and environmental factors influence the development of health. However, new knowledge is required about the influence of these factors, and how they interact with one another.

In its research activities, patient care and education & training, the UMCG is focusing on the ageing process. The UMCG aims to find answers to such questions as: How can we prevent the consequences of chronic diseases? How can we increase the wellbeing and welfare of the elderly? How can we continue to participate in society and on the labour market, in a satisfactory manner, into old age?

But we can question ourselves, do we want to get older and older? And which impact will come along with growing older? Is everything permitted by any cost? Or do you have to pay for your own health costs if you smoke cigarettes or eat fast food? Are we ourselves responsible for our health or is this the responsibility of the government?  Should we only focus our research on the ‘expensive’ diseases such as chronic illnesses or on the ‘cheaper’ sudden death by cardiovascular disease?

Another way to look at Healthy Ageing is not the process of growing older as an adult, but the development of healthy children. For example if it is possible, is it expectable to select only healthy embryo’s?

With this international Healthy Ageing debate we hope to bring different ethical, economical and medical views on Healthy Ageing together.

Our chair of the day, prof. Links will lead this Healthy Ageing debate.