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I thought that I became middle aged when I turned 35.

I refer to myself as middle aged when talking to people (e.g., "I'm middle aged but single"). I have even mentioned getting getting screened for cancer now that I'm middle aged to my doctor and he didn't disagree or say anything.

Are you sure middle age starts at 45?

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Yes, and it's not like it's difficult to check. Dictionary definition:

middle age, noun: the period after early adulthood and before old age, about 45 to 65.

45 is much too late for the average human. The average human has a life expectancy of 79 years.

That's not really relevant, as middle age doesn't actually mean "in the middle of one's life expectancy".

"Middle" is just the etymology, the intended meaning is "somewhere between young man 18 to 40-something and old person (60-65+)" (childhood being its own thing).

middle age, noun: the period after early adulthood and before old age, about 45 to 65.

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