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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society

Workshop Summary

Amy Smith, Rapporteur

Center for Economic, Governance, and International Studies

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the Steering Committee for the workshop were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported with internal funds from the National Academy of Sciences. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-15010-1

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-15010-8

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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2010). Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Amy Smith, Rapporteur. Center for Economic, Governance, and International Studies, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR THE ACADEMIES-WIDE INITIATIVE ON THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF OUR AGING SOCIETY

RONALD LEE (Chair),

Center for the Demography and Economics of Aging, University of California, Berkeley

ROBERT H. BINSTOCK,

School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University

ROBERT N. BUTLER,

International Longevity Center, New York

JUDITH CAMPISI, E.O.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California

LAURA L. CARSTENSEN,

Department of Psychology, Stanford University

JOSEPH F. COUGHLIN,

Engineering Systems Division, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

EILEEN M. CRIMMINS,

Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California

ROBERT M. HAUSER,

Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin–Madison

JAMES S. JACKSON,

Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

CHARLES M. LUCAS,

Osprey Point Consulting, Deer Isle, Maine

DAVID B. REUBEN,

Multicampus Program in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, University of California, Los Angeles

DAVID R. WEIR,

Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan

JANE L. ROSS, Study Director

TRACY HARRIS, Senior Program Officer

CONNIE CITRO, Center Director

BARNEY COHEN, Board Director

ROGER HERDMAN, Board Director

SUSAN VAN HEMEL, Senior Program Officer

BARBARA WANCHISEN, Board Director

SCOTT WEIDMAN, Board Director

GOOLOO WUNDERLICH, Senior Program Officer

BARBARA BOYD, Administrative Coordinator

KATHLEEN SASLAW, Assistant Director,

Finance

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Acknowledgments

This report summarizes the proceedings of a workshop that focused on the development of high-priority topics in aging research. Over a year ago the presidents of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine launched an initiative focused on the challenge of shaping policies and programs that exploit the benefits of increased longevity and enhanced health for individuals and for society. The intent of the initiative was to develop a broad portfolio of studies and related activities that would contribute to an evidence-based dialogue on population aging. The initiative was also designed to contribute to the development of sound program and policy options related to an aging society. The two-day workshop on which these proceedings are based included presentations by experts in many aspects of aging and discussion with a broad range of invited guests. The substance of the workshop was developed by the Planning Committee for the Academies-Wide Initiative on the Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society. The workshop was supported by the Presidents’ Fund.

This workshop summary was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the National Research Council (NRC). The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that assist the institution in making its report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process.

The panel thanks the following individuals for their review of this report: Andrea Louise Campbell, Department of Political Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Laura L. Carstensen, Department of Psychology, Stanford Center on Longevity, Stanford University; Joshua R. Goldstein, Office of the Executive Director, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany; and Barbara Boyle Torrey, Population Reference Bureau.

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the report, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Beth J. Soldo, Population Aging Research Center, University of Pennsylvania. Appointed by the NRC, she was responsible for making certain that the independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of the report rests entirely with the author and the NRC.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Contents

1

 

INTRODUCTION

 

1

   

 Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society,

 

1

   

 Introductory Remarks,
Ronald Lee

 

2

2

 

BIOLOGICAL RESEARCH, MEDICAL ADVANCES, AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

 

5

   

 Extending the Life Span,
Richard A. Miller

 

5

   

 The Biology of Frailty,
Linda P. Fried

 

7

   

 Allocating Scarce Health Care Resources,
David B. Reuben

 

10

3

 

ENHANCING HEALTHY AGING

 

15

   

 Strategies for Health Promotion,
Robert N. Butler

 

15

   

 Obesity Among Older People,
Gordon L. Jensen

 

16

   

 Exercise and Cognition,
Arthur Kramer

 

18

   

 Racial Disparities and Communication,
M. Chris Gibbons

 

19

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. Grand Challenges of Our Aging Society: Workshop Summary. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12852.
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Aging populations are generating both challenges and opportunities for societies around the globe. Increases in longevity and improvements in health raise many questions. What steps can be taken to optimize physical and cognitive health and productivity across the life span? How will older people finance their retirement and health care? What will be the macroeconomic implications of an aging population? How will communities be shaped by the shift in age structure? What global interconnections will affect how each society handles the aging of its population?

To address these questions, the National Academies organized a symposium, summarized in the present volume, to determine how best to contribute to an evidence-based dialogue on population aging that will shape policies and programs. Presentations in the fields of biology, public health, medicine, informatics, macroeconomics, finance, urban planning, and engineering approached the challenges of aging from many different angles. The presenters reviewed the current state of knowledge in their respective fields, identifying areas of consensus and controversy and delineating the priority questions for further research and policy development.

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