This concept draws parallels between societal anxieties around hygiene and our cultural obsession with anti-aging. Just as the hygiene movement sought to eliminate perceived threats like dirt and disease, 'gerontological hygiene' identifies and targets the 'problem' of aging itself through a vast array of technologies, practices, and ideologies.

The book critiques the pervasive notion of aging as a disease state, highlighting how this perspective fuels a multi-billion dollar industry peddling solutions to a natural process. This medicalization impacts not only our physical health but also our self-perception, social interactions, and overall well-being as we age.

Drawing upon the work of Michel Foucault, Fletcher examines how power structures, institutions, and discourses influence our understanding and experience of aging bodies. He analyzes how these forces shape policies, practices, and perceptions, often marginalizing and controlling older populations.