BoomSpeak! Your Whole Life's In Front of You

health

Never Too Late -- Unless You’re Dead

big bellies A lot of studies have been released of late regarding baby boomer health and trends. One study says we’re not as healthy as our parents, another says that some (as in, not many) baby boomers are in much better health than their parents. Our obesity rates are definitely up according to a Harvard Medical School study. When members of the prior generation were 35 to 44 years old, 14% to 18% were obese. At comparable ages, 28% to 32% of the youngest boomers were obese.

So what’s going on here? Some boomers are really committed to a lifestyle of very good health, but most are too tired, too stressed, too lazy, and/or too pessimistic to change their lifestyle before it’s too late.

In a Forbes.com article, Allison Van Dusen identified nine big mistakes these unmotivated boomers are making.

Aversion to authority figures (particulary true of women, according to statistics)
Mishandling stress -- being caught between grown children and aging parents is an issue you can’t eat away
Blaming genetics -- likewise it’s kind of foolish to say you’re going to die young anyway, because everyone in your family does.
Overlooking eyesight -- drugstore magnifiers are not the best solution
Believe they are excercising enough -- walking up and down grocery aisles and from the garage to the office doesn’t count
Ignoring bones -- got milk is more than a good advertising slogan. Get the bone density checked too
Not thinking about the brain -- use it or lose comes to mind, but idle minds portend a lot more health issues than active brainy types
Supersizing it -- just because the plate is big does not mean you need to fill it. Start splitting those entrées
Assuming it’s too late -- it’s never too late. Unless you’re dead. Start at 60, 70, 80 or 90. Whatever you do will have longevity and good health benefits.

bone xray The optimism and idealism of our salad days was heady stuff, but it’s no substitute for a realistic assessment of your health. There are no miracle fixes and those ab machines really won’t reduce your stomach while you sleep. It’s the smallest things that can pay the biggest dividends. Halving your food portions, cutting out bad snack foods, drinking more water, getting some daily calcium, eating more fresh vegetables, fruits and nuts. The best advice from the experts is to pick one thing at a time to work on. Start walking 3 times a week. Add one new healthful thing to your diet. Stop eating fried foods. One step at a time can help you reach a new more healthful lifestyle that extends your life as well.

Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept. He's written a mystery novel, which therefore makes him a pre-published author.