Can older people recall age-related bias? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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People aged 50 to 80 years report experiencing ageism in their lives, a recent study found. Colleen Christmas, a geriatrics expert at Johns Hopkins, reveals the findings.

Christmas: Experiencing ageism is almost universal. Nearly everybody says Oh yeah I've experienced ageism. Then they break down the different categories so ageist messages of ageism and interpersonal interactions and internalized ageism, which by the way was the most prevalent form. What we think about ourselves as we age, 70% of us harbor these beliefs that as we get older we should become invisible, we should run slower, when we run. The more ageism you experience the worse your health is.    :30

Christmas says studying the walking speed of older people when they’ve heard negative messages about aging slows them down compared to when they hear positive messaging. She recommends that older people try to become aware of ageism so its impact isn’t as great. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.