Why You Should Think Twice About What Aging Means To You

What do you consider old? 40? 60? 100? Depending on your age, the answer probably varies.

Dr. Phil is joined by Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP and best-selling author of Disrupt Aging, to discuss age bias.

“Ageism is ageless and that you can be old at 35 or young at 70, it just depends on the mindset that you have,” Jo Ann tells Dr. Phil.

“Why is it important to challenge these outdated beliefs about aging?” Dr. Phil asks.

“Our research tells us that a 10-year-old born today in the U.S. has a 50 percent chance of living to be 104, and so we’re going to have to recreate a 100-year life and think about the implications of that on education, on work, on relationships, on savings for retirement, on your whole health, wealth, self spectrum,” Jo Ann explains. “It’s not just about tacking 15 or 20 years onto the end of your life.”

WATCH: How To Fight Back Against Age Discrimination And Create A New Vision For Aging

“Your attitude about age when you’re young affects your health when you’re older, so you can’t be a Johnny-come-lately to this,” Dr. Phil says.

WATCH: How to Have Tough Talks With Aging Family Members

Jo Ann adds, “We know that if you have a positive outlook on living longer, you’re likely to live seven years longer than if you have a negative attitude on aging.”

Watch more from Jo Ann in the video above, including how to fight aging and the ageist attitude. And, hear from Dottie, a 65-year-old who says she has encountered age bias but doesn’t let it stop her from doing the things she enjoys in life.

Are you an age disruptor like Dottie? If you are, AARP wants to hear from you. Go to AARP.org/shareyourstory to join the conversation.

Watch AARP’s “Millennials Show Us What ‘Old’ Looks Like”.