Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (SP)

Mangalore, May 28: Chairman of the psychiatric department of K S Hegde Medical Academy Dr Satish Rao advised older people to beat boredom and be happy during the inactive years of their lives, by being active and getting involved with social work.

Delivering a talk on 'management of old age problems,' at a programme organized by SDM College of Business Management and Mangalore Management Association at the college premises on Tuesday May 26, he reminded them that a socially active person immensely helps for the development of the society. At the same time, being active in life enables them to share experiences and ideas with the new generation, he added.

Advances in medical science and improving standards of living have immensely contributed to the quality of life and increased life expectancy by leaps and bounds, which has seen over a two-fold increase, from 32 years a couple of decades ago, to 68 years now. In the past, people suffered from malnutrition while the problem has changed to obesity now, he remarked.

"The older people should consume more water, vegetables, fruits etc., and go soft on sweets and salt.  Measures should be taken to ease the stress levels, which have aggravated in general, due to the change in the life style. Recession and rapid industrialization have contributed to complicate matters," he explained.

Rao stressed on the need to maintain mental agility and happiness, as stress on the mind tends to have impact on the general health of a person. Keeping one eager, receptive to ideas and friendly helps the older people to carry on without difficulty, he opined.