Life expectancy continues to climb up to more than 81 years for women and 76 years for men but many of us have concerns around aging. Pfizer is challenging Americans to address their FOGO Fear of Getting Old as the next phase of Get Old, an initiative by Pfizer around aging, encouraging honest conversations and celebrating getting “old” at whatever stage of life you are.

“We want people to Get Old with a new attitude. If you address fears or concerns today you can work to make the right health and lifestyle choices that will impact how you age tomorrow,” said Freda Lewis-Hall, M.D., chief medical officer at Pfizer. “People of all ages should start thinking about how they want to age, and turn fears into healthy actions.”

A recent survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Pfizer’s Get Old, found that 87 per cent of Americans have at least one fear when they think about getting old. Decline in physical ability is the most feared by 23 per cent of Americans, followed by memory loss at 15 per cent and having a chronic disease or running out of money at 12 per cent each all of which are higher than the fear of dying at 10 per cent.

Additionally, a separate social research study found that the majority 62per cent of the 4.2 million Tweets posted about aging in the last 12 months were negative. In the analysis, health and wellness were the most commonly discussed Tweet topics and were up 48 per cent in 2014 versus 2013.

A study by Pew Research suggested that these aging concerns may be unnecessary. In the study, those over 65 experienced less issues like memory loss and illness than were expected by those under 65. Get Old’s refresh will tackle these fears head-on by bringing wit and wisdom to aging through a social and digital initiative.

Educational content on topics such as health and wellness, family and relationships and love and sex These educational efforts are supported by more than a dozen Get Old partners, including National Council on Aging, American Sexual Health Association and Men’s Health Network.

“Like everything worthwhile in life, aging successfully requires attention and effort. Taking charge of good health habits, finances, positive attitudes and social ties pay huge benefits for the rest of your life,” said Daniel Perry, founder of the Alliance for Aging Research.

Get Old, developed by Pfizer in 2012, is an ongoing initiative to foster candid conversation around aging, redefine what it means to “get old” and encourage individuals to make healthy behaviours to age the way they want.