One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Over the

last

half-century, life expectancy across the world has been rising

as a result

of better quality healthcare.

This

means that today we have an ageing population. On the face of it, living longer seems to be a good thing – after all, nobody really wants to die! – but a decent old age depends on

health

and wealth. Many

people

in their seventies and eighties, and even older, are able to enjoy a long and fulfilling retirement. They can travel to new destinations and get involved in a wide range of hobbies and activities that were impossible while working and bringing up a family. Those with grandchildren may

also

be able to help young, busy parents with

such

tasks as collecting children from school;

moreover

, they could share their life experiences with the younger generation. But while there are tremendous benefits to increased life expectancy, they depend, to an extent, on being healthy and having money. Older

people

are more likely to suffer from medical problems, especially chronic illnesses like diabetes and muscle pain, which can seriously restrict the kinds of activities they do.

This

also

means increased

health

care costs, for both individuals and society.

In addition

, if older

people

aren’t working, they will have to rely on savings and pensions to pay for their lifestyle, but many older

people

simply won’t have been able to save enough for a long old age. Overall

then

, I feel that the benefits of living older are clear, but these must be balanced against the implications for

health

and money. If living longer simply means chronic

health

complaints and grinding poverty for a longer time, it is questionable as to whether it is an advantage at all.