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Ageing is a natural process. Everyone must undergo this phase of life at his or her own time and pace. In the broader sense, ageing reflects all the changes taking place over the course of life. These changes start from birth-one grows, develops and attains maturity. To the young, ageing is exciting. Middle age is the time when people notice the age-related changes like greying of hair, wrinkled skin and a fair amount of physical decline. Even the healthiest, aesthetically fit cannot escape these changes. Slow and steady physical impairment and functional disability are noticed resulting in increased dependency in the period of old age. According to World Health Organization, ageing is a course of biological reality which starts at conception and ends with death. It has its own dynamics, much beyond human control. However, this process of ageing is also subject to the constructions by which each society makes sense of old age. In most of the developed countries, the age of 60 is considered equivalent to retirement age and it is said to be the beginning of old age. In this chapter, you understand the details of ageing processes and associated physiological changes.

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This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to physical activity among college students via qualitative research design. Eight focus group discussions on 67 college students aged 18-24 years (48 females, 19 males) was conducted on College premises. Data were analysed using inductive approach. Participants identified a number of obstacles to physical activity. Perceived barriers emerged from the analysis of the data addressed the different dimensions of the socio-ecological framework. The result indicated that the young adults perceived substantial amount of personal, social and environmental factors as barriers such as time constraint, tiredness, stress, family control, safety issues and much more. Understanding the barriers and overcoming the barriers at this stage will be valuable. Health professionals and researchers can use this information to design and implement interventions, strategies and policies to promote the participation in physical activity. This further can help the students to deal with those barriers and can help to instil the habit of regular physical activity in the later adult years.

Objective To examine prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of maternal obesity; and provide evidence on current policies and programs to manage maternal obesity in India. Methods This is a mixed‐methods study. We analyzed the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)‐4 data (2015–16) to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of obesity, followed by a desk review of literature and stakeholder mapping with interviews to develop policy guidance. Results National prevalence of obesity (defined by WHO as body mass index ≥25) was comparable among pregnant (12%) and postpartum women (13%) ≥20 years of age. A high prevalence of obesity (>40%) was observed in over 30 districts in multiple states. Older maternal age, urban residence, increasing wealth quintile, and secondary education were associated with increased odds of obesity among pregnant and postpartum women; higher education increased odds among postpartum women only (OR 1.90; 95% CI, 1.44–2.52). Dietary variables were not associated with obesity. Several implementation challenges across healthcare system blocks were observed at policy level. Conclusion Overall prevalence of obesity in India during and after pregnancy is high, with huge variation across districts. Policy and programs must be state‐specific focusing on prevention, screening, and management of obesity among pregnant and postpartum women.