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Study Shows Boomers are Living Longer, but with Worse Health

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Most of us would prefer to live a long time, truth be told. The search for greater longevity is one of humankind’s great quests. But what if that longer life is accompanied by more health problems? Is it possible to have a longer life and worse health at the same time?

For millions of baby boomers, the youngest of whom are now turning 60, the answer is yes. That’s according to a recent study reported by CNN.  The article, written by CNN reporter Rosa Rahimi, describes a troubling paradox: baby boomers are living longer than the generations before them, but their overall health is actually worse. What’s even more ominous is that this situation appears to represent a growing generational trend.

The impact on retirement planning seems clear to us. People already need to prepare for a longer-than-ever retirement period – and simultaneously they need to be mindful that uncovered health care costs will represent an even greater danger than in the past. Let’s see what CNN’s Rahimi has to report.

Data Shows Generational Decline in Overall Health

Rahimi writes, “Researchers at the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) found that people born since 1945 have worse health than previous generations at the same age, resulting in what they call a ‘generational health drift.’”

Laura Gimeno, a doctoral candidate at UCL and a lead author of the study, elaborates in a recent email to CNN: “We found that Baby Boomers are more likely to have doctor-diagnosed diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, and a variety of other chronic health conditions compared to previous generations at the same age.”

Gimeno added that there was little evidence for improvements in disability rates, a sobering finding. Here are the details.

Study Tracked 100,000 Adults Age 51 and Older

Rahimi tells us that the study, published in the Journals of Gerontology, looked at health data collected from more than 100,000 participants for over a decade, between 2004 and 2018.

She adds, “The data came from adults aged 51 or older in the United States and those aged 50 or older in England and continental Europe. It covered several generations, including the Greatest Generation (born before 1925) and Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1959), according to the study.”

Several Health Measurements Show Notable Decline

Rahimi notes that all of the regions examined in the study saw significant declines in health. For example, the prevalence of diabetes and high cholesterol all rose at the same rate, while the diagnoses of cancer, heart problems, and high cholesterol increased the most in England and continental Europe.  

The study also called out higher obesity rates. Rahimi writes, “Body mass index (BMI) was also analyzed, with researchers finding that age-adjusted obesity increased across post-war cohorts – except for those in southern Europe.”

Even levels of grip strength, a common measurement of overall muscle strength and risk of disability, decreased across the US and England, though they remained the same or increased in other parts of Europe. As the study says, “Such regional differences likely reflect differences in the balance of nutritional improvements and declines in physical activity.”

While these findings of deteriorating health among the Baby Boomer generation have already been demonstrated in other studies focused on the US, this study shows that similar patterns can be seen in England and continental Europe, making this a more widespread phenomenon than it was initially thought.  

Men and Women Appear to Face Equal Risks

A logical question would be: do gender and nationality have any effect on these findings?

According to Gimeno, the results were “generally similar” for men and women. But she adds that more work and more study is required to understand how certain wider variables, like gender and nationality, drive these differences and changes.

Gimeno also adds that younger post-war groups, like Generation X, are at similar risk of worse health than the generation preceding them.

“Generation X were more likely to be obese, have diabetes, and be in poor mental health than Baby Boomers in their 40s,” she says. “The fact that we aren’t seeing an improvement here is concerning.”

The sad truth about all of this is that these problems are largely preventable. Gimeno emphasizes the need for better prevention of these illnesses, since population aging is expected to accelerate thanks to an increasing life expectancy and long-term declines in fertility. The more we can keep people from developing these health problems in the first place, the better the trends will be.

Data Suggests a Trend Across Generational Lines

Sadly, at the moment, the trends are not looking good, and this latest research appears to fit the pattern. 

Rahimi writes, “In 2020, a study suggested that Gen X faced more years of ill health than Baby Boomers, with people in their 40s and 50s found to be in worse physical shape than people in their 60s and early 70s were at the same age.”

Ultimately, researchers tell us that the analysis of this study suggests a disturbing trend: people are living longer, but not necessarily healthier, despite the reality that these age-related illnesses are often preventable.  

Rajiv’s Advice: Take Action Now to Live Longer and Healthier

Rajiv Nagaich has seen too many friends and clients robbed of a joyful retirement because of a health crisis. Some of these can’t be foreseen or prevented – but not all.

“There’s plenty about our long-term health that we can’t control,” says Rajiv. “You can’t control your genetic make-up, for example, and there’s no magic pill or potion that will guarantee you won’t get cancer or heart disease. But there are things we can control when it comes to our health, and we should absolutely get serious about doing whatever is reasonably in our power to live a longer, healthier life.”

Along with the basics like diet, exercise, social interaction, and sleep, Rajiv adds another: the importance of choosing the right doctor. “I always advise my senior clients and friends of the importance of having board-certified geriatrician as your primary care doctor,” he urges. “These specialists understand older patients far better than their peers. I’m convinced that the single best health decision you can make is to put yourself in the care of a true geriatric specialist.”

If you’ll contact us, we’ll provide referrals to geriatricians in your area.

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Through stories, examples, and personal insights, Rajiv takes us along on his journey of expanding awareness about a problem that few are willing to talk about, yet it’s one that results in millions of Americans sleepwalking their way into their worst nightmares about aging. Rajiv lays bare the shortcomings of traditional retirement planning advice, exposes the biases many professionals have about what is best for older adults, and much more.

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(originally reported at www.cnn.com)

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