Getting Old: Deal with it

You know you’re old when your adult children talk to each other in front of you and spell out certain words. Reaching the milestone of 80, Lee Janogly was continually irritated at the notion that older people are slower, frailer and generally out of touch with modern living. Even if we do sometimes put the remote control in the fridge, we know how to work it. An experienced diet and exercise counsellor, Lee knows that older people really do want to know how to be healthy and well for as long as possible – without being lectured or patronised. After all, as the 81-year-old Vogue magazine cover star, actress Jane Fonda says, ‘Older women are the fastest growing demographic in the world. It’s time to recognise our value’. Lee’s book charts amusingly what happens to bodily and mental functions as we age. She looks at diet and fitness options – and her friends have their say too.