Aging for All Ages

Aging is a lifelong process. Today we are learning that how we age is up to us. What you eat, how physically and mentally active you are and even your attitudes toward aging can affect how successfully your own individual aging process develops.

As an individual there are certain things you can do that will enhance the quality of your life as you grow older. This exhibition will introduce you to some of the challenges you may face as you grow older as well as some strategies you should consider for a healthier future regardless of your age. You will also discover some of the latest breakthroughs science has made in the realm of aging research.

How we Age

Your body is made up of cells, the building blocks of all of your tissues. All cells experience change as you age. The cells become large and less able to divide and reproduce. Your tissues accumulate waste products and fatty substances. These changes affect the functioning of all body systems. It can result in stiff joints, thickening of your arteries and can even slow down your nervous system. But as you will see, there are things you can do that will help your cells work better!

In the exhibition you will discover

• how life expectancy has changed over years
• what makes strong bones
• what you may look like as you grow older

Aging Better

Some changes in the tissues of the body normally occur with age, but many others can be influenced by the way you live.

In the exhibition you can explore

• ways to keep your brain in peak performance
• what your reaction time is and how to improve it

Future of Aging

People are living longer. The typical life expectancy in the U.S. reached 77.9 years for those born in 2007. There is a new optimism among research biologists that aging is not absolute. Your body has resources that can be used to resist diseases and prevent the hardships of old age extending the QUALITY of life and possibly the number of years you could live.

In the exhibition you can learn

• some of ground breaking research being conducted to discover how we age and how we may be able to age better
• some of the differences between young and old  tissue samples as seen under a microscope

The exhibition AGING FOR ALL AGES is funded by ongoing support from the MetLife Foundation Partnership for Lifelong Learning. Additional ongoing support provided by Aging & Independence Services, a division of the County of San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency.

Face Aging Exhibit Instructions for viewing your “aged” images.