Healthy aging essential as Europeans of retirement age will soon outstrip youth

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As the number of elderly people in Europe starts to outnumber the young, the World Health Organization is warning it’s time to introduce healthier lifestyles. The UN agency says countries can expect to be under greater pressure from chronic diseases if there are no changes. A new report from the World Health Organization is urging Europeans to take steps toward a healthier lifestyle. At the forefront of its campaign is the message to eat foods made from fresh products without added sugar, fat and salt. Also, it recommends exercise to prevent chronic diseases that come from obesity. It says the root causes of poor health in old age are a lack of exercise and overconsumption of unhealthy food. The WHO is basing its campaign on UN statistics which show the number of people reaching the average retirement of around 65 next year will outstrip the number of 15-year-olds in Europe. It warns a larger elderly population will present social, financial and health challenges. The WHO is urging countries to focus on healthy aging. It says age needn’t be linked to diseases like cancer, diabetes, and dementia if the groundwork is provided for people to protect their wellbeing. Stephen Whiting, WHO Europe’s Technical Advisor on Sport and Health says governments need to start investing in preventing poor health in old age now. He says the COVID pandemic has shown that healthier people are better able to withstand disease. According to the WHO Europe report on healthy aging people aged 65 and older are recommended to do “moderate-intensity aerobic exercise” for at least two and a half hours each week. This can be a brisk walk. Alternatively, for fitter people, it advises 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise such as swimming or jogging. It says it’s also vital for more elderly people to do muscle strengthening at least two days a week to improve mobility and prevent falls. It advises people with chronic disease to do as much exercise as they are capable of. This article was provided by The Associated Press.