Prague, May 11 (CTK) – Czechs want to live a long time, for which they have a good precondition, as shown by the latest statistical data, but at the same time, they are afraid of ageing and do not like to be called old, daily Pravo writes today.
When forty, Czech men and women have a good chance of living for another 37 and 42 years, respectively, Pravo writes.
When it comes to the Czech men and women aged 65, they can still live for 16 and 19 years more, it adds.
“At the same time, Czechs are afraid of ageing and reject the denotation of being old or ageing,” expert Zdena Prokopova told the paper.
“In fact, being called old may often mean the loss of job, no advancement in career and no pay rise, although there is a law against age discrimination,” she added.
The other day, the age at retirement was considered an official gate to ageing, Prokopova said.
“However, this is no longer true,” she added.
Some employers denote people in their 40s as old and having no prospects, Pravo writes.
People in their 50s are now the most numerous group of the long-term unemployed even at the time the companies only with difficulties find new employees, it adds.
The jobless rate fell to the record low 4.4 percent in the Czech Republic in April.
“I must look young. This is why I have joined a parachuting course, had a plastic surgery of my eye-lids made and I commute to work by bike,” a company manager is quoted as saying.
There is no official limit of old age, but in the Czech Republic, there is the unwritten consensus that people under 35-40 are considered young, while the limit at late medium age is 65 years and the real ageing starts at 75, Pravo writes.
Lots of Czech men and women do their utmost in order to keep their youthful look, it adds.
They join health clubs, keep jogging, observe healthy diets and profess a healthy lifestyle, Pravo writes.
Businesspeople and managers follow the latest fashion and buy the cars associated with the idea of youth, it adds.
They marry young wives, having children of the second or even third generation, Pravo writes.
Not only women, but also men have cosmetic surgeries to get rid of wrinkles and have some face-lifting, it adds.
“There is also a positive effect. In their quest for youth and being competitive, the older people continue with their education, learning foreign languages and the latest IT methods,” the daily quotes an expert.
Czech society is demonstrably ageing. In 1990, there were 1.3 million people over 65 and 2.2 million children under 15 in the Czech Republic.
Last year, there were almost two million over 65 and only 1.6 million children. The people over 65 now make up almost one-fifth of the Czech Republic’s population of 10.5 million.
The young are aware of the growing influence of the elderly, Pravo writes.
The study Age Discrimination or Ageism has revealed that 44 percent of Czechs aged 15-29 agree with the view that their older fellow citizens should only have a limited opportunity to enter politics so that they could not influence society much, Pravo writes.
