The Reason Why Many Older People Develop Midorexia

Age and our perception of it – whether we feel older or younger than we actually are – affect the way we think and act. Midorexia often manifests itself as a crisis of confidence in which the affected person tries to hold on to his youth.

According to Daniela Corrosco, professor at the University of Diego Portales, midorexia always occurs in a social context. And as a rule , it occurs in environments where this way of thinking and acting is encouraged.

As a consequence of the judgmental nature of Western societies, midorexia occurs more often among women in their 40s and 50s. They try to relive their youth a second time and as a consequence begin to care more about how they look.

Midorexia and leisure activities

Midorexia makes people try to keep their youth for as long as possible. This attitude often leads them to make profound changes in their daily lives that go far beyond the purely physical.

Therefore, it is not uncommon for people with midorexia to spend much of their time planning activities that often involve younger people. This can be anything from going to special bars and restaurants to planning trips characterized by casual activities. In short, they apply for activities and places that often appeal to slightly younger target groups.

The positive side

Midorexia can quickly appear as something negative. A condition in which the affected person is unable to accept that he or she is getting older. But midorexia can also have several positive side effects. It can make a person relive their youth by refusing to let age be an obstacle to enjoying life to the fullest. By striving to have a more youthful lifestyle, it can help us to avoid getting stuck in a monotonous and boring everyday life.

Midorexia can actually help us avoid the psychological difficulties we often associate with aging. Among other things, it can encourage us to seek out people, places and experiences that we otherwise would not have considered because we think we are too old. For example, it can encourage us to travel to exotic places or start extreme sports without caring so much whether it is appropriate for our age or not.

Another interesting side effect of this condition is the opportunities it provides to get in touch with younger people. Following in their footsteps means that we may discover that we have more in common with the newer generations than we had expected. In addition, it helps us to better understand the younger members of our family; our children, nephews / nieces and nephews.

More benefits for seniors

When older people want to feel younger, they often start with new forms of physical activity. This usually has major health benefits. Many seniors tend to become sedentary, which only increases their physical limitations. It also makes them more vulnerable to disease and injury.

Others prefer a digital transformation and start learning new technology.

Although it may be important to be aware of your own age, it is also important to look at age as something subjective. Apart from the purely physical limitations that old age brings with it, passing 50 or 60 should not be an obstacle to enjoying life.

We should also keep in mind the dramatic increase in life expectancy. Now that we are living longer, it also becomes more important to try to maintain a youthful mentality. Midorexia can thus lead to more positive than negative changes in our lives. It allows us to enjoy the benefits of a youthful lifestyle while overcoming the barriers we have set for ourselves in terms of our view of age and aging.