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As this special issue makes clear, countries around the world are experiencing a rapid aging of their populations. This will lead to big changes in all aspects of life, and Britain is to have a debate - the Debate of the Age - on what it will mean to individuals, organisations, and society. The aim is to raise awareness of how society will change and propose policies for the next 50 years. The biggest public debate ever to happen outside government, it will in many ways be a debate about the future of Britain.

The debate, started by the charity Age Concern, follows the formula of a governmental conference on aging that happens every 10 years in the United States. The foundations for the British debate have been laid, and study groups are already researching the effects of demographic shifts on five aspects of our lives: the way we work and study; health care; economic policy; the design of cars and buildings; and, importantly, our values and attitudes towards aging.

The debate has two main elements. While the study groups compile evidence, market research will gather feedback on individuals' understanding of the issues. The results from this massive survey will launch the wider public debate in 1998. The concerns and views raised by the preliminary research will be then discussed at all levels of society through the mass media, exhibitions, conferences, competitions, and other means. Citizens' juries will gather evidence from their communities, and debate packs are being produced to encourage schools, individuals, and organisations to take part.

The debate will succeed only if every section of society participates. Many organisations and corporations have already agreed to take part, and representatives of the BMA, the General Medical Council, the royal colleges, and several specialist societies have met to discuss how the medical world can contribute. Though the projected population figures are partly a tribute to medicine, we need to make sure that as people live longer we do not simply add years to life at the expense of quality.

Professionally your practice and your specialty will see more older people. The disease burden associated with increased life expectations has massive implications for health policy. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for the effective management of chronic disease. The distinction between health and social care will probably blur, especially for the oldest and frailest. The economics of providing this care is a concern for all politicians and managers, and the costs involved make age a tempting criterion for healthcare rationing.

The aging of the population will also affect you individually. If you plan on working until your 60s and retiring on a comfortable pension, you may have to think again. In 25 years' time nearly 20 more people will be over retirement age than now. Supporting so many healthy but economically unproductive people may render the concept of retirement obsolete.

The organisers hope that 60 of the population will take part in the Debate of the Age and that 80 will be aware of it. The discussions and research will be collated, evaluated, and published in a policy document, The Agenda for Age. This will be discussed at a final conference in 2000 and presented to the government as a guide to policy for the next century.

To contribute to the debate contact the Debate of the Age office on 0171 387 7446 or knights@ace.org.uk (website: www.age2000.org.uk) or the BMJ, which is helping to coordinate the medical contribution.