Baby boomers is the largest generation in the history of the US. These are people born between 1945 and 1964 and account for 76 million people. I am at the tail end of this and have had to deal with plenty of issues because of it. That would be a whole different type of blog.
What I want to address is the health of these and the many Americans that are older. Do you realize that there are 41 countries with longer life expectancies than the US? The life expectancy in the US ranges between 69 and 80 with an average of 77.6 years. There are three main reasons for this: poor insurance coverage, large immigrant population and the obesity epidemic.
Face it, Americans live in excess. Have you seen how many all-you-can-eat buffets there are? I live in the largest tourist destination in the world and we have a bunch of those. I was at a fitness seminar this weekend in the heart of the tourist area and I ate at one of those restaurants. There was very little that was healthy for you and people piled up their plate, several times, and ate everything!
I digress. Approximately 85% of all baby boomers will have the following chronic diseases by the age of 65: hypertension, coronary artery disease and diabetes. That is over 64 million people! And to top it all off, 75% of all American deaths are due to stroke, coronary artery disease and cancer. These can be prevented.
Of the three reasons for the US life expectancy being shorter than other countries I am going to address one of them here. It is the poor health insurance issue. Most of the countries that have longer life expectancies have health plans that are monitored or controlled by the government. The people pay higher taxes so everyone is covered. I am not advocating this only pointing out a fact. So the first issue is that everyone is covered, not just the people who can afford it.
The second, and I think most important, is that our health care system treats diseases, not prevent it. There needs to be prevention so the health care system can be used more effectively to take care of the real issues caused by accidents, genetics and natural causes.
This is where exercise comes in to play. Contrary to what some people may believe, exercise can not cure any disease. Exercise prevents deconditioning which preserves function and independence. It will also improve the quality of life.
It is never too late to start. Programs can be started at any age with any conditions. A good personal trainer will be able to work with you and any issues you may have. If you are diabetic, you can still work out. You just need to take a few precautions that others may not have to take.
My recommendation is that if you are not exercising and eating properly than you need to start now. Seek advice from knowledgable professionals. Once you start to feel better you will not want to stop.
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My dad died of heart disease at 78 years old, the national average for men in the US. He was overweight and had a heart condition for the last ten years of his life. I loved him dearly and would have given anything to have had more time with him.
Obesity and heart disease are linked--and it's something we can do something about.
On the other hand, my mother lived to the age of 92 and suffered with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. She, sad to say, lived too long--too long because our health care system can prolong life in some ways, but not offer quality of life. Still, I'm grateful I had her as long as I did.
There's even a link with Alzheimer's and obesity now, so once again, we have to get ourselves off the couch and not bring junk food into our homes.
Still, it's hard! I don't overeat, but I struggle to stay fit.
Thanks for your blog.
~Carol O'Dell
Author of Motheirng Mother: A Daughter's Humorous and Heartbreaking Memoir
available on Amazon
www.mothering-mother.com
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