Introduction to Age Erasers for Women

Introduction

It's Earlier Than You Think

Maybe death and taxes are inevitable, but for most of us, those two aren't nearly as fearsome as the prospect of getting older.
Getting older. Aaarrrgghh! The words alone are enough to chill the heart of any red-blooded American woman. And we cringe at the timeworn images that accompany those words--of gray hair, deep wrinkles, flaccid arms, saggy thighs, the end of attraction and romance and possibility.

It was fine for Gloria Steinem to say proudly, during one of her milestone decades, "This is what 40 looks like." She said it again on her 50th birthday--cheerfully adding on another ten years, of course.

But most of us aren't so cavalier and confident. And we're certainly not laughing in public as the birthdays roll by. We stopped admitting our ages after 29, and we change the subject when anybody younger says "So when did you graduate from college?"

That's why we wrote Age Erasers for Women.

After a year of talking to experts and doing extensive research on how to stem the tide of time, our team of writers found that it is indeed possible for any woman to turn back the clock--or at least to freeze it in place. At the very least, this book will help you redefine your image of aging, so you can move into tomorrow with energy and anticipation.

We embarked on this project after you told us that aging was one of your biggest worries. It's a concern that we share--and why not? In America, youth is king, especially for women.

When a man gets gray around the temples, he's distinguished. When he develops a paunch, he's cute. When he starts playing golf instead of pickup games with 18-year-old guys at the local basketball court, he's settling down.

When that happens to a woman, she's getting older.

But it doesn't have to be that way. The hundreds of simple strategies in this book will help you feel and look younger, no matter what your age.

We also wrote a book for men, who, despite society's tolerance for their potbellies and thinning hair, told us that they're uneasy about aging, too. Age Erasers for Men speaks to their concerns; Age Erasers for Women speaks to ours.

So take this book--please. And have some fun with it. The future is better than you think.

Patricia Fisher

Senior Managing Editor

Rodale Books