The Real Health of Baby Boomers

The picture that many of us have had of the ‘average’ baby boomer is one of an active, healthy adult who is ‘enjoying’ heading into senior citizen status. But recent reports of some new studies are starting to paint a different picture, which are making health professionals sit up and take notice. Before talking about the numbers, though, the bottom line is that baby boomers may actually be LESS healthy than their parents!

Every two years, the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) surveys over 22,000 Americans over 50 years old. This study is supported by the NIH and helps paint a picture of multiple aspects of where our aging society is in such areas as physical and mental health, financial status, labor market status, retirement planning, and more.

When researchers started to study the first wave of baby boomers, those born between 1948 and 1053, they found these subjects were reporting poorer health than groups before them, born between 1936 and 1947. They were much less likely than their predecessors to describe their health as “excellent” or “very good” and reported having more difficulty with routine tasks, such as walking several blocks or lifting 10 pounds. They also appeared to have more pain, drinking and psychiatric problems and chronic problems than previous ages.

As can be expected, many critics point out that this really isn’t telling us enough information at this time. However, these findings are consistent with a number of studies, including one last year that found American adults have poorer health than their British counterparts, and a preliminary analysis of data collected between 1972 and 2003 for the National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative survey of more than 100,000 Americans. Another study produced similar findings in a survey of 2,500 adults between 1995 and 2001.

The funny thing is many baby boomers consider themselves healthier, too! But are they really? I have worked with many people in this age category and although I try to help them improve their health and fitness levels, often one of two things happens: Either they continue to struggle, sometimes without success, or they decide that the solution is more supplements and surgery, rather than real lifestyle changes.

This generation IS healthier in some ways; they are less likely to smoke and their gym membership status is high. However, overall they are less active in their daily lives than their parents and others who lived before them. They go to the gym because their daily life is completely devoid of physical activity. In America, try walking to work or to the local store! It’s either impossible or just too unsafe. This generation lives under constant stress with the faster-paced lifestyles, too. Although we hear of the wealthier aspect of this generation, what is also known is the baby boomer generation have not been savers. Consequently, they have to continue to work into their 60’s in order to pay the bills. They may also have children who are not independent and also have parents who need attention and care.

With time so limited, and responsibilities so great, attention to their health takes a back seat. Diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are very high in this age group, it was found. And many people are on various medications to help counter these health problems. And it’s no secret that obesity is epidemic in America, which increases the risks for these diseases and more.

Skeptics also point to the fact that the life expectance of Americans has increased. However, this may be because this population are diagnosed earlier, which means they can live longer with chronic diseases. But these reports may also indicate that baby boomers are less tolerant to aches and pains than their predecessors. They are NOT going into old age easily!

Regardless of what this all really means, these Studies are watched by policymakers. The concern is if this population is less healthy than the earlier population, this can effect the country’s future as we consider Social Security, retirement programs and medial programs.

So, after all this gloom, what is the answer? I guess it’s nothing different than I always talk about! Are you exercising on a regular basis? How many fruits and veggies are you eating each day? What about the types of protein you are eating; is it a lot of animal protein or are you incorporating more beans and plant proteins into your diet? And what about stress; what are you doing for it? None of these questions is something to focus on at the exclusion of the others. As an example, almost every 50 year-old woman I have started to work with told me when we first met that they ‘normally’ had constipation. Across the board they ate very few fruits and veggies, although they thought they ate plenty, and they all proudly shared that they didn’t sweat! Hm; that gave us plenty to work on with just those two facts!

To read more about the Health & Retirement Study, click here: http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/

Are food imports from China Safe?

It’s hard to not be aware that many cats and dogs developed kidney failure and even death recently from tainted pet food. If you have followed the investigation, you may also already know that what has been found is the contamination began in China.

This time is was our pets that were at risk, but how many of us have been put at risk for contaminated foods that have not been caught through the importation process from China?

Now, what many of you may NOT know, is that although China’s agricultural exports to the US has increased almost 20 times in the last 25 years, to $2.26 billion last year, which also include such things as poultry products, sausage casings, shellfish, honey, spices and apple juice, US inspectors are able to only inspect a tiny percentage of these shipments that enter the US each year. And, what HAS been inspected has resulted in an average of 200 rejections per month this year, which is the largest number from any country. For example, two other big importers include Thailand and Italy, but their rejections averaged 18 and 35/month respectively!

What has sent China products back have included such examples as pesticide-laden pea pods, drug-laced catfish, contaminated honey, filthy plums, crawfish contaminated with salmonella, foods containing pesticides, antibiotics and other potentially harmful chemicals, as well as false or incomplete labeling that sometimes doesn’t even include the producer’s name.

Although China has made great improvements in their technology and sanitation, and they continue to try to improve inspections on their products, they have experienced limited success. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used in excess in order to boost yields, while harmful antibiotics are widely used to control disease in seafood and livestock. Unchecked industrial pollution risks introducing heavy metals into the food chain. Farmers have used products that are known to cause cancer in order to increase the value of their products and produce leaner meats. China’s Health Ministry reported almost 34,000 food-related illnesses in 2005, with spoiled food accounting for the largest number, followed by poisonous plants or animals and use of agricultural chemicals.

A big part of the problem is that most of China’s agricultural products still come from small farmers, which makes regulation difficult. Small farms ship to market with little documentation. Testing of the safety and purity of farm products such as milk is often haphazard. Only about 6 percent of agricultural products were considered pollution-free in 2005, while safer, better quality food accounts for just 1 percent of the total, according to figures compiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

As China’s infrastructure continues to modernize and improve, this bleak picture will improve. They are trying hard to separate foods produced for export from domestic products. They want their export trade to flourish, so it is in their best interest to improve their standards. However, what can you do, today, to protect yourself?

Well, first of all, many of us had no idea that one supplier was providing product to so many pet food companies. And that this supplier was using a China company. Many people are now making their own pet food from scratch. In fact, why not do the same for yourself? Buy your food and cook it, yourself. And, while you’re at it, buy locally, so you know where your food is really coming from. Local seafood, local meats, or at least know where they come from, and local produce all can provide improved quality AND eliminate the question of just how safe the food is. Just about every town in the country today has a local farmer’s market, and by buying local produce, you are supporting your local growers. You can usually even find local egg farmers and diaries! If you eat beef, chances are that if you do some research, you can also still find a local beef farmer.

Our world is going global, but with that global growth come ‘growing pains’. However, although China is emerging into the 21st century, they still have a long way to go. In the meantime, if you have concerns about where your food is coming from, and just how safe it is, take control by doing your research and support your own local agricultural community and improving your health while you’re at it!

Summer vacation can mean weight gain for kids

Although I recently discussed the decrease in physical exercise in schools, apparently what little they DO get in school is more than they get at home, while on summer vacation, according to a recent study that will be published in the April issue of American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers studied the growth rates of the BMI’s of 5,380 kindergartners and first-graders between fall of 1998 to spring of 2000 in 310 schools across the country.
The study found that 5- and 6-year-olds gained more weight over the summer than during the school year. BMIs generally doubled during the summer, with the increase higher among black and Hispanic students, yet fell back to their original, normal growth rate when they were back in school.

Although specific reasons could not be determined, the guess is that kids are spending more time sitting around and snacking, instead of playing and doing activities that healthy 5- and 6-year-olds should be doing. At this age, parents definitely have a responsibility for the health of their children. They need to be more involved in what their children are doing, but it also raises the idea of a longer school year and more after-school programs to keep kids active. Although researchers saw a drop in the growth rate when kids returned to school, as this trend happens from summer to summer, this does lead to eventual obesity problems for these kids later in their life.

What is the message? If you work and cannot supervise your kids during the summer, at least find some type of program for them to take part in that will keep them active and busy. There are many programs that are affordable if your income is limited, and the welfare of your child could be the highest cost if you ignore how active they are as children.

Obesity Surgery in Teens

Just recently I posted on neurological problems that may be common among people who have undergone gastric bypass surgery to lose weight and had mentioned the growth in these types of surgeries in teens. As it so happens, a recent report has just been published on that very topic in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

We have a problem in this country with weight, and although childhood obesity used to be rather rare, today all you have to do is look around you to tell this problem is growing. This is a scary development, but I feel the primary causes are multi-fold; parents no longer cook at home or set a good example for their children, school food choices are generally high in fat and low in whole foods, and physical activity is missing in many kids’ lives. Although there is a push to return physical fitness to the school curriculum, most schools provide no physical exercise during the day at all. When kids come home, they spend the day sitting, doing school work, playing on the computer, or watching TV. In some neighborhoods, it’s not even safe anymore to go play outside.

So, as is so American, the easiest solution is bariatric surgery for our kids! At least the figures cited in the report were moderate, finding that only 0.7% of all surgeries were performed on teenagers. This still represented 771 kids in 2003, though! And the numbers for this year are expected to reach 1,000. It was estimated that 104,702 adults had these surgeries in 2003.

Although the complication rate is much lower in teens than adults, researchers are unclear what the physical and emotional effects are on these children. Therefore, there is currently a five-year study in progress to examine these medical and psychological results of obesity surgery among teens.

Need I say it? We need to get our kids outside, playing and taking part in physical activities. And we also need to set good examples for our kids so they learn how and what to eat. If you have kids at home and you AND your kids are struggling with weight, start taking this problem seriously. Your own child’s future and life may be at stake.

To read the abstract of this study, click here;
http://archpedi.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/161/3/217