The genealogy of the ageing body Introduction This text focus on the aging body, on its biology & its social representation. I want to highlight that the process of biological & physiological ageing are interesting to interpret on the basis of social, historical and cultural context. Aging is, after all, a twinning of many different dimensions in a complex structure of biology, culture, gender and social conditions. The biological aging would not be perceived as biological aging if we did not have an frame of understanding to interpret these bodily changes in relation to. But we also use the body to express something about ourselves. This makes the body an agent that may be of larger or smaller value depending on how it relates to the prevailing norms about what is productive and aesthetically desirable or acceptable. Methods & results The text provides a historical outlook at how the aging body is described in counselling materials from 1700s to contemporary material. The study is based on discourse analytic traditions with a focus on genealogy. As a result I will show examples of how the ageing body has been interpreted through different ages in time. I will show how ideals are created & on what perceptions they are built. Conclusions The conclusion is that today’s notions of the aging body is surrounded by myths & misconceptions that can be traced back several centuries. I intend to show how this heritage characterizes today’s notions of the aging body.