Anti Aging Articles
Anti-Aging Alphabet Soup
Michael Brickey, Ph.D.
I prefer to use positive terms whenever possible. Thus my preference would be for terms such as positive aging or healthy aging. Overture data, however, indicate that only 30 people did Internet searches for positive aging in July 2005. Healthy aging fared a little better at 681 searches. Both were dwarfed by anti aging at 125,558 searches. At least on the Internet when people think of staying healthy and youthful, they think anti aging. These searches were often for anti aging centers, anti aging skin care, anti aging supplements, and other anti aging products. (I use anti aging without the hyphens because this is the Internet and most people doing searches do not use hyphens.)
Anti aging came from medicine. Like the military, medicine is either for or against things. So we have antibiotics, antiseptics, antispasmodics, and yes, anti aging. While it is currently hard to find physicians who are specialists in anti aging medicine, the numbers are growing rapidly and it seems destined to become the biggest medical specialty--possibly as common as family doctors.
Medicine is brilliant at identifying and treating or curing diseases. Unfortunately, it has paid little attention to prevention or health promotion. American insurance companies pay billions for pills but nothing for vitamins, billions for surgeries but little for fitness, nutrition education, or other prevention. In the last decade we have seen increasing challenges to medicine’s over focus on disease. Wellness, which focuses on what we want instead of what we don’t want, had 63,228 searches. Holistic health, which addresses mind, body and spirit, had 4,189.
But we are still in medicine’s shadow. Alternative medicine had 194,534 searches—even more than anti aging. Quite a few of these searches were paired with a city—people looking for local practitioners and services. Alternative medicine encompasses just about everything that is not mainstream medicine—massage, chiropractors, herbs, acupuncture, naturopaths, crystals, magnets, and much more. Some have scientific research backing them, and some have none.
My hypnosis training made me keenly aware that terms like wellness and health are better terms than anti aging. To conceptualize anti aging you have to think of aging—and then try to negate it. It’s a little like telling somebody not to think of cute, cuddly baby pink elephants. You’re seeing those baby elephants aren’t you?
In 1887 a Polish linguist introduced Esperanto, a universal language. Guess what? Despite its many quirks and irregularities, English is still the world’s international language. While I prefer healthy aging, positive aging, wellness and holistic health, anti aging is still the universal language.
In psychology Martin Seligman, a trailblazer in research on optimism, happiness, and depression, developed a new field--positive psychology. Hopefully it will become a dominant force in psychology, which currently, like medicine, focuses on pathology. Overture found 800 searches for positive psychology.
When it comes to change, follow the money. Medicare now covers many in home health services, realizing they are less expensive than nursing home care. While managed care was supposed to emphasize prevention and wellness, it mostly just gave lip service. American insurance companies in general, however, are gradually inching into prevention and wellness. The big boost for alternative medicine will come with those higher co-pays, higher deductibles, and health savings accounts. Consumers often choose traditional medical treatments and medications because their insurance covers much of the cost. When consumers pay more bills out of pocket, they will be more inclined to consider alternative approaches to illness and health.
America is in the grips of makeover madness (which is almost always an out-of-pocket expense). Face lifts, liposuction, breast augmentation, and tummy tucks these days are typically performed on an outpatient basis. Health spas traditionally offered skin care, massages, manicures, and pedicures. With the makeover phenomenon many are becoming medical spas and offering laser treatments for skin, chemical peels, Botox, and even surgery. With the strong influence and prestige of medicine, anti aging is likely to continue to be the dominant term for healthy aging and wellness.
________________This article may be reprinted in E-zines, newsletters, newspapers, and magazines provided they the content is not edited and the following attribution is given:
Dr. Michael Brickey is President of the Ageless Lifestyles Institute and author of Defy Aging. His new book, 52 baby steps to Grow Young, gives two-page-a-week practical steps for developing a youthful mindset at every age. Further information is at www.DrBrickey.com.
Formatting may be changed and you may use one of the web site pictures of the author or books to accompany the article. If published online, please keep live links.
For further information on Contact :
Michael Brickey, Ph.D.
President
Ageless Lifestyles Institute
865 College Ave.
Columbus, OH 43209
614-237-4556
articles@DrBrickey.com
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