The Baby Boomer generation changed everything and demanded everything. Now, as they age, this group would seem determined to live life to its fullest and maintain their health. They’re buying more supplements than any generation before them. They are exercising more. They stay consistent with their routine medical screenings.
Because of all of this, everyone has the impression that they are healthier. But are they?
With this generation beginning to enter the Medicare system, this question is of critical importance.
Certainly the Baby Boomer generation has seen some amazing advances in medicine. There are more powerful diagnostic tools available to find what ails them. There are more medications available now than ever before. This generation, however, also seems to adopt “preventative” medications as a birthright. If a Baby Boomer’s primary care doctor finds high cholesterol and Lipitor is going to save them, he or she is going to take it.
But it’s not working.
This particular study looks at the rates of chronic disease in the Baby Boomer generation and compared it to the previous generation. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and rates of obesity are all higher.
Given the focus of this blog, you would, of course, expect me to say that it is because of the dietary choices this generation is making. And you’d be right.
It’s because of the dietary choices this generation is making.
Artificial sweetener use is rampant. Excessive portion sizes are the norm. The type of exercise they are doing is not consistent with our hunter gatherer genetics. And they are exposing themselves to more environmental chemicals than ever before.
Did I already mention that this group is now hitting Medicare? If you think Medicare has problems NOW, just wait and see as this generation goes onto Medicare over the next 2 generations or so. Combine this with Obamacare and the problem will fix itself once the country implodes financially and medicine as we know it goes away.
If you are a Baby Boomer, do you disagree with the findings of this study? If so, based on what?