THIS WEEK

AGEING AND HEALTH

Elderly prominent figures worldwide have given the world quite a scare recently. Our concern? Their health.

The Radiant smile of  a healthy Queen  

Only last week, The Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, was admitted to the hospital for gastroenteritis. Commonly referred to as the stomach bug, gastroenteritis is an illness which has vomiting and passage of loose stools as common symptoms. However, at extremes of age, rapid or frequent loss of water is a worrisome condition as patients quickly become dehydrated and the body is less equipped to handle such changes. Fortunately, she was discharged after a 1-day stay at The King  Edward VII Hospital,Central London in apparently good health. Surely, she still had the strength to put up smiles as she walked out of the hospital unaided in a dashing outfit and scores of paparazzi all over trying to catch a glimpse of the Queen mother.

Nelson Mandela: Strong as ever

In similar news, the Nobel Laureate, Anti-apartheid leader and former president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, was at the hospital yet again. In December 2012, he had 3 hospital admissions which included a lung infection and a surgery to remove gallstones. In spite of his frail state of health, the 94-year old still hasn't lost charm, humor nor wit. Like fine wine, he truly does get better  with age.

The Nigerian sage and one of Africa's foremost novelist and authors, Prof. Chinua Achebe added to the fears of Nigerians when he was reported to be hospitalized in the United States where he currently resides. THe famous novelist, poet and critic is one known for his  unique viewpoint and and writings which serve as a constant reproach to the conscience of the Nigerian politicians and Rulers, past and present.

In a world where life expectancy is low, living until you are old and grey is becoming increasingly rare. So how do these people manage to stay healthy, happy and alive? Join the forum this week and discover ways of staying healthy and alive until you are old and grey.