Middle Adulthood Physical and Cognitive Development

Development in Middle Adulthood

• Middle adulthood is usually defined as the ages of 40 to 60 or 65.

Physical Continuity and Change

• The most obvious changes associated with middle years are physical

• Physical abilities peak in early adulthood• Changes in capabilities include:

– sensation– motor skills and reaction time– internal changes

• After age 55, bones become less dense and ultimately women lose 2 inches and men lose 1 inch in height.

• Both men and women continue to gain weight in middle adulthood.

• The amount of body fat increases. • Throughout middle adulthood, strength gradually decreases. • This is particularly so in the back and leg muscles. • By age 60, people have lost about 10 percent of their

maximum strength.

Physical Changes of Middle Adulthood

Physical Changes• Climacteric: Loss of reproductive capacity

• In women, the most dramatic aspect is menopause. Menopause involves:

– physical changes and symptoms

– emotional effects

Physical Changes• Menopause typically occurs between ages of 45 and 55• Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to

deal with symptoms• Male hormones decline gradually in middle age • Men may suffer erectile dysfunction

Physical Changes

Osteoporosis begins around 30 for women—and men Loss of estrogens and progesterone in women Improved by regular weight-bearing exercise

• The primary sort of loss is for sounds of high frequency, a problem called PRESBYCUSIS.

• About 12 percent of people between 45 and 65 suffer from presbycusis.

• Men are more prone to hearing loss than women. • A nearly universal change in eyesight during middle

adulthood is the loss of near vision, called PRESBYOPIA• Sometimes changes in vision are brought on by a disease

called GLAUCOMA, a condition where pressure in the fluid of the eye increases, either because the fluid cannot drain properly or because too much fluid is produced.

– About 1 percent to 2 percent of those over 40 are affected.

Cognitive Changes

• Cognitive processing less selective and react slower to cognitive tasks

• Less ability to control attention inhibits responses to irrelevant stimuli

• Sensory stimuli processed differently• Subjective experience of forgetfulness

Disease and Health• As people age, they become more vulnerable to

disease• Most deaths in middle age are from cancer and

heart attacks• Women are generally more healthy than men• Poor habits—especially smoking and over eating—

take their toll in middle age

Disease and Health

• Smoking, Alcohol, and Obesity– Nearly 25% of adults smoke– Smoking is responsible for more than 25% of all

deaths among people ages 35 to 64– Alcohol consumption is the third-leading cause

of preventable death in the U.S.– Today, 65% of U.S. adults are overweight or

obese

Disease and Health

• Stress and Health– Stress is a normal part of life, but excessive stress

plays a role in many diseases of middle adulthood– Extreme or prolonged stress weakens the immune

system– Adults who live in poverty or who are members of

disadvantaged minority groups have higher stress levels, poorer health and earlier death