You know when you’re old when your adult children talk to each other in front of you and spell out certain words.
Reaching the milestone of eighty, Lee Janogly was irritated at the notion that older people are slower, frailer and generally out of touch with the modern world. Even if we do sometimes put the remote control in the fridge, we do know how to work it…
An experienced diet and exercise counsellor, Lee knows that older people do want to know how to be healthy, fit, and well for as long as possible – without being lectured or patronised.
After all, as the 81-year-old superstar Jane Fonda says: ‘Older women are the fastest growing demographic in the world. It’s time to recognise our value.‘
Lee’s new book charts what happens to bodily and mental functions as we age. She looks at diet and fitness options. She has tracked down expert advice for us all on the best ways to improve memory, health, and appearance.
By the end of this book you will be standing straighter, eating more healthily, and people will be telling you how great you look (without adding ‘for your age’).
This new book, by turns tender, funny, and practical entertains and informs in equal measure.
Lee Janogly has been a diet counsellor and fitness instructor for over 40 years.
In her latest book, Getting Old: Deal with It, Lee set her sights on helping older people live their remaining years in the best possible health. As she says ‘A hospital is no place for sick people – too many germs!’ Now in her 80s, Lee feels she is fully qualified for this endeavour. Her tenets are love and laughter.
News & Reviews
- See The Daily Mail serialisation.
- Read what Bel Mooney had to say about the book.
- And a fabulous piece in the Jewish Chronicle.
- Visit the Talk Yourself Slim Author website.
- Lee writes in The Big Issue.
- A nice review in https://turning60.co.uk/:
Book Review: Getting Old: Deal With It – by Lee Janogly
In Getting Old: Deal With It, Lee Janogly brings wit, warmth, and no-nonsense energy to the often-delicate subject of ageing. Now in her eighties and still teaching exercise classes several times a week, Lee writes not from a distance but from the thick of lived experience, and it shows.
This is not a book about pretending that growing older is easy. Nor is it a litany of complaints about lost youth. Instead, Lee strikes a careful, refreshing balance: acknowledging the real physical and emotional challenges that come with ageing, while offering encouragement, practical advice, and above all, permission to continue living with spirit, humour, and dignity.
Written in a conversational, down-to-earth style, Getting Old: Deal With It feels rather like having a cup of tea with a wise, lively friend who knows how to laugh at life’s absurdities without losing sight of what matters. Lee is honest about the changes that come with age, from stiff joints to shifting friendships, but insists that ageing need not mean giving up on joy, vitality, or self-respect.
Among the book’s strengths is its emphasis on attitude and adaptability. Lee urges readers to focus not on what has been lost, but on what is still possible, often far more than people assume. She speaks from personal experience about the importance of movement, resilience, and maintaining a sense of curiosity about life, all delivered with an unmistakable twinkle in the eye.
Importantly, Getting Old: Deal With It is not prescriptive. Lee doesn’t suggest that everyone must emulate her exercise routine or approach to health. Rather, she encourages each reader to find their own sustainable ways to stay active, stay connected, and stay themselves. It’s a message that feels especially resonant for those who have never quite seen themselves reflected in glossy “positive ageing” slogans.
At a time when conversations about ageing are often either over-sanitised or tinged with fear, Getting Old: Deal With It is a welcome reminder that there is no one way to grow older. It can be challenging, yes. It can be frustrating. But it can also be full of unexpected joy, humour, learning, and even mischief, if we allow ourselves to lean into it with open eyes and a stubborn kind of optimism.
In short, Lee Janogly offers more than advice. She offers a way of facing later life that feels real, generous, and utterly human. A book well worth reading, and revisiting, for anyone navigating the messy, marvellous business of growing older.