Is This a Good Likeness?

Study says that obituary photos reveal anti-aging bias has increased.

People are growing increasingly uncomfortable gazing at older faces, says a researcher who studied the discrepancy between youthful-looking obituary photos and the ages of the deceased. Dr. Keith Anderson and social work doctoral student Jina Han of Ohio State University examined the obituary photos from a thirty-year span, and found that the number of obituary photographs showing the deceased at a much younger age than when he or she died more than doubled between 1967 and 1997. Women were more than twice as likely as men to have an obit photo depicting them at a much younger age than the one at which they died.

What inspired Anderson to use obituary photographs to gauge society’s level of comfort with aging appearances? “Like many people, I tend to look over the obituaries and read the stories of those who have passed away,” he tells demo dirt. “Often I would notice photos of younger people and then read the obituary and find that the person died at age 90. This sparked an idea in terms of why people would submit ‘age-inaccurate’ photos and whether this was a recent phenomenon or whether it has some historical roots.”

In 1967, 17 percent of obituary photos were “age-inappropriate,” meaning they did not accurately reflect the age of the person at the time of his or her death. Age-inappropriate photos showed the subject at an age that was at least 15 years younger than he or she was when they died. Age-inaccurate photos increased steadily each decade, from 17 percent in 1967 to 27 percent in 1977 to 30 percent in 1987. By 1997, the number of age inappropriate photos had more than doubled to 36 percent. Furthermore, each additional year in age at time of death increased the odds of having an age-inaccurate obituary photo.

Could this discrepancy exist because people are living longer today than they did thirty years ago? Perhaps, but that is not the entire reason, Anderson says.

“We are living longer and often with chronic illness,” he says. “However, we used a 15 year time period and, I would guess, people would have photos that show the deceased in relatively good health that could use for the obituary photo. This leads me to believe that other factors are at play.”

Ageism, he argues, has increased over time, although as a society we seem to be aware of the problem.

Baby Boomer expert Dr. Douglas Fitzgerald, founder and president of Boomer Living says that society’s discomfort with aging is clear. “The social milieu is concentrated on the twenty six year old perfect, in-shape body, and once wrinkles start and sagging start to happen, Boomers feel that that is not ideal,” he says, adding that many Boomers are reluctant to reveal their age and even their generational cohort.

“Wrinkles are not socially-accepted; what we picture as a healthy outgoing person is someone who is somewhere between 25 and 45,” Fitzgerald adds.

Frequently loved ones want to show photos of their deceased loved ones when they were at the prime of their lives. The question, Anderson says, is how we define the prime of life, and what roles youth, appearance and ageism play in that definition. “Rarely does society ever consider 65 and older to be the prime of life,” he notes.

“I think the prime of life is defined differently by different people,” Anderson says. “For men, society probably defines the prime of life in terms of their careers. For women, society probably defines the prime of life by their appearance.”

Women’s photos were twice as likely as men’s photos to be age-inaccurate. Anderson says that for women, aging offers a “double whammy” of sexism and ageism for them to face.

The study finding that women’s photos were twice as likely to be age-inaccurate is not surprising to Fitzgerald, who has noticed that many Boomer women claim aging is tougher for them than for their male peers.

Noting the social pressure on women to remain youthful and fit, Fitzgerald says that his female cohorts express frustration at societal expectations of them as they age. “A lot of females say it is easier for a guy to age than for a female,” he says.

For Fitzgerald, his prime of life is now. “I am 64 and I have no problem being 64,” he says. “I feel I am in my prime; I am more active, more involved, and having a great time at this point in my life. I have been able to meet a lot of other people who feel the same way [about themselves]. Many Boomers are satisfied with who they are.”

Boomer Living also promotes a positive view of aging adults. “What we try to do at Boomer Living is represent active boomers,” he explains. “It is okay to age gracefully, this time is part of your prime. You have more experience and wisdom at this point.”

“I am not sure where the prime of life is; I am still going,” Fitzgerald says. “I don’t consider one’s twenties the prime of life. The key is to make the most of what you have and of where you are.”

Currently Anderson has no plans for a follow-up study, but says future research in this area may prove interesting.

“It would be quite interesting to survey older adults as to what type of picture—current, archival—

they would want for their obituary photo,” he says. “I have a feeling that they would rather be portrayed as they are—maybe a few years younger—than have a picture of them at a younger age. Time for more research!”