Posts Tagged ‘boomers’

This is the generation that should be utilizing the rewards of all the medical advances. The upside is they are, and the downside is they are. This is putting boomers on the wrong side of illness.

Unraveling advances in care means taking a tough look at them. By dismantling the technology, we can see what we have.

Caution

The advances look like a very expensive proposition.

Prescription drugs

Routine physical exams

Preventive screenings

Immunizations

Diagnostic tests and laboratory work

This is what is called a senior fun fest. You get to go from doctor to doctor. It could be a form of entertainment. But you do not attain better health; you just get to use more pharmaceuticals, and aids. This is not the path that will help you cherish your senior years.

Choice

A study published in the American Journal of Medicine finds that seniors who drink fruit or vegetable juices at least three times a week lower the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by 76 percent. The researchers credit the high levels of polyphenols in juices as being responsible for these findings. The antioxidant action of polyphenols (found mainly in the skins of fruits and vegetables) is well noted in other studies.

This is the first generation exposed to a new way of eating. Also, it is the first generation that had a lifestyle that wasn’t conductive to physical activity. It is the first generation that was exposed to the newest medical technologies, and pharmaceuticals.

Problem

The problem is both in lifestyle, and the dependence on medicine to solve the problems that are the outcome of habits. This is a nation that has gotten use to pharmaceutical solutions. For baby boomers it is worrisome. Medications are harder to process when you are older.

The liver which is a filter has a harder time riding the body of toxins. Pharmaceuticals are toxins and chemical poisons. Our food supply with all the additives introduces foreign substances into our systems.

Proactive

In America proactive means getting every test under the sun for an early diagnosis. Well-being does not come from a test; it is a function of being fit. No testing or medication can make you healthy. The outlook looks bleak for a population has the largest food supply, and an arsenal of pharmaceuticals. 

The healthcare crises can’t be taken lightly. The boomers are on the wrong side of illness, but so are their children and grandchildren. The barometer of our health and the health of the nation will be seen in the doctor’s office, hospitals, adult residences, and our public schools

Obesity and Health

The United States obesity problem is now threatening the health of the senior population. A doubling of the obesity rates among the Medicare population is a cause for alarm. This is the first time that the life expectancy in America may fall due to health issues caused by weight. This has enormous potential to at least slow or stop longevity gains. Obesity affects the retirement community in both the quality and quantity of their golden years.

The American population has seen an increase in the number of chronic diseases in virtually all the obese seniors. An earlier Emory University study traced 27% of the overall growth in health spending from 1987 to 2001 to treatment costs for obesity-related conditions.  Now folks it is at least 8 years later and we are into one of the biggest health crisis due to obesity.

As the boomers retire and follow the same pattern they will burden the Medicare budget. This is a fiscal threat. Spending for senior’s obesity related problems accounted for 25% of total Medicare spending in 2002. While aging Americans are providing the golden parachute for the pharmaceutical industry we are forging a tough future for our children and grandchildren. They will have to pay the price for this generation eating habits.

Aging Americans

As aging Americans we are sure doing our best to support the profitable pharmaceutical industry. The United States obesity epidemic has exposed the failing of the health care industry that is heavily into pharmaceutical solutions and not enough into prevention.

The retirement community must start to better manage their lifestyle. A failure of the retirement community to watch their waistlines has strong implication for their health and the health of the country. Retirement is a problem for the next generation. The challenge is that the health benefits are going to dwindle and the pharmaceutical companies will not get as a big payout from Medicare. That means more out-of-pocket expense for cash strapped seniors.

Trend

The United States obesity problem can threaten the fabric of life in America. It surely will affect the senior population health in a detrimental way. This may be temporary if we halt this trend before it becomes a bigger threat to our health and way of life. The proposals are that the American population gets more active and start paying attention to what they chow down on.

Foods of minimal nutritional value are the most dangerous for the elderly. They have the highest need for good nutrition. They are more in need of the abundant vitamins, minerals and nutrients that a good diet supplies. Instead of paying for costly intervention from the medical community purchasing fruits and vegetables would be a wiser investment. The cheapest calories are starches and sugars and they turn out to be the most costly in term of health.

The United States obesity epidemic has spurred a generations of chronically ill seniors. With a little common sense seniors can monitor their weight. The retirement community should be made up of robust seniors ready to take on their golden years with vim and vigor. The emerging growth of the natural health and wellness movement will make it easier for seniors to take responsibility for their health. Retirees can not expect pharmaceutical agents to solve all the problems brought on by overindulging.