Age Discrimination Takes Its Toll

Age Discrimination Takes Its Toll

Raise your hand if you've felt that people treat you with less respect or courtesy than others, that they act as if you're not smart, that you get poorer service in stores and restaurants than others - in short, if you've felt discriminated against because of age, gender, ethnicity, income, disability, appearance, even marital status.

A startling proportion of older people report that they've experienced discrimination: 63 percent, in a study recently published in Research on Aging. The most commonly cited cause? "Thirty percent report being mistreated because of their age," said the lead author Ye Luo, a Clemson University sociologist. Perceived discrimination because of gender, race or ancestry, disabilities or appearance followed in smaller proportions.

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