"You can be old at 30 and young at 100"

Mangalore: "Ageing does not come along old age. You can be old at 30 and young at 100," opined Dr Prabha Adhikari, Professor of Medicine, KMC.

Delivering a lecture on “Promote active ageing and elderly care through public education,” at a seminar on ‘Value education for age care’, organised by Help Age India here on Thursday, she stressed the need for exercise, yoga, meditation, relaxation and nutritious food, to be healthy.

“If you are exercising regularly, you can be 10 years younger than your age and if you are not exercising, then you will look 10 years older than your age,” she said and analysed the reasons for ageing.

Regretting that there is only one college which offers MD in Geriatrics (a branch of medicine that deals with elderly care) in India, Dr Adhikari suggested 12 tips to keep the elderly happy.

The tips included keeping the elderly fully occupied; Giving them economic freedom; Maintaining ideal body weight and waist circumference; Having regular check ups for chronic diseases; Allowing them to live on their own; Making them learn new skills; and making them help another person.

Explaining the importance of fruits, she said that Indians don’t know the value of vegetables and fruits. “Regular consumption of fruits can keep away several diseases,” she said.

77 million aged: Stating that there are 77 million elderly persons in India, Dr Adhikari noted that the number is expected to cross 100-million mark by 2013. Out of the 77 million elderly persons, 30 percent are below poverty line; 70 percent are illiterate; 75 percent are economically dependent; and 45 percent are suffering from chronic diseases.

Earlier inaugurating the seminar, subject inspector Rahamatulla stressed the need for value-based education in the schools so that the children look after the elderly well.

On the occasion, Help Age India Karnataka Senior Manager Rambabu T made a CD presentation on ‘Education and value orientation in schools’.

Later, Dr Nanda Kishore Rao spoke on ‘Multigenerational relationship’ and Ms Savita Pereira spoke on ‘Individual life-long development’.

The valedictory address on value education was delivered by MRPL School Principal S Vasudev Rao. [From Internet]