The movie, Honey I Shrunk the Kids was released in 1989, but what has it got to do with Ageing and Old Age in 2026?
On a quick Google search, the answer actually came true:
Yes, people typically lose about 1 to 2 inches of height as they get older.
Why Height Loss Happens?
1) Spinal Discs Shrink: The soft discs between your backbone lose water and flatten over time.
2) Bones Weaken: Bones in the spine can thin or experience tiny compression fractures.
3) Muscles Weaken: Weaker core and back muscles lead to a more stooped or curved posture.
4) Feet Flatten: The arches in your feet can slowly collapse over the years.
The reason for writing about this subject is more from a personal perspective rather than scientific. When I see the pictures of my parents from 60 years ago, they seemed taller and stronger, but today when I see them, it looks like a time travel image.
Many older people tend to become frail as they age and also develop a hunched upper back, but then, the larger point of debate is, how does it impact their Activities of Daily Living (ADL)?
Writing from the perspective of a caregiver and not as a medical professional, in my opinion, the body clock has its own way of functioning. As we grow older, there comes a particular stage when the Ageing process suddenly accelerates which could be due to an illness, injury or mental health.
To a certain point in life, seniors feel fit and healthy both in spirit and bones, but then once there is a major shakeup in health, suddenly the body machinery parts start falling apart.
Luckily modern medicine is now available in various formats which are there to help a person keep living, probably it is evident from the life expectancy which has grown three fold, from 1926 to 2026.
Ability to do Activities of Daily Living are the basic activities which define our independence versus our dependency on others. Taking a bath or requesting for help to change our own clothes is something which none of us want to become dependent upon, but then that's the harsh reality of frailty and fragility.
If India wants to see its present and future Senior Citizens living an active, healthy and independent life till it's possible, then work has to start from yesterday otherwise our communities will have more frail, hunched and lonely older people on the streets and parks rather than young children playing football and cricket.
Pankaj Mehrotra
