Scripps.org has published the top ten health concerns of baby boomers; concerns that will come as no surprise to anyone.
https://www.scripps.org/news_items/4623-top-10-health-concerns-of-baby-boomers
1[ Type 2 diabetes
2] Cardiovascular disease
3] Cancer
4] Depression
5] Eye problems
6] Alzheimer’s disease
7] Arthritis and Joint replacement
8] Osteoporosis
9] Flu/pneumonia
10] “Sandwich generation” stress
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Okay, so now that we know what we already knew, let’s take a closer look at each of these with a more critical eye [eye problems, notwithstanding]:
1] Type 2 diabetes
From Mayo Clinic:
Researchers don’t fully understand why some people develop type 2 diabetes and others don’t. It’s clear, however, that certain factors increase the risk, including:
a] Weight. Being overweight is a primary risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The more fatty tissue you have, the more resistant your cells become to insulin. However, you don’t have to be overweight to develop type 2 diabetes.
b] Fat distribution. If your body stores fat primarily in your abdomen, your risk of type 2 diabetes is greater than if your body stores fat elsewhere, such as your hips and thighs.
c] Inactivity. The less active you are, the greater your risk of type 2 diabetes. Physical activity helps you control your weight, uses up glucose as energy and makes your cells more sensitive to insulin.
d] Family history. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases if your parent or sibling has type 2 diabetes.
e] Race. Although it’s unclear why, people of certain races — including blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Asian-Americans — are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than whites are.
f] Age. The risk of type 2 diabetes increases as you get older, especially after age 45. That’s probably because people tend to exercise less, lose muscle mass and gain weight as they age. But type 2 diabetes is also increasing dramatically among children, adolescents and younger adults.
g] Prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be classified as diabetes. Left untreated, pre-diabetes can progress to type 2 diabetes.
h] Gestational diabetes. If you developed gestational diabetes when you were pregnant, your risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases. If you gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds (4 kilograms), you’re also at risk of type 2 diabetes.
i] Polycystic ovary syndrome. For women, having polycystic ovary syndrome — a common condition characterized by irregular menstrual periods, excess hair growth and obesity — increases the risk of diabetes.
SUMMARY
What you need to take away from all of this is that while genetics play a major role in your destiny, lifestyle changes are just as important.
So basically, eat right and stay in shape. The rest is up to mother nature.
2] Cardiovascular disease
It may surprise you to know that depression plays a major role in cardiovascular disease.
The twist here is that exercise tends to mitigate the effects of depression, so you might want to consider getting off your butts and into the gym for reasons you didn’t consider but better learn before there’s nothing left to learn.
SUMMARY
“In previous studies, we have found intriguing positive evidence that managing depression lowers risk of future heart attacks and strokes,” said Stewart, associate professor of psychology and an affiliated scientist of the IU Center for Aging Research. “With this new NIH-funded clinical trial, we hope to confirm that treatment of depression is cardio-protective, lowering the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”
3] Cancer
Genetics are again the major factor in determining the likelihood of contracting cancer.
And again, the environmental culprits line up like dominoes – all the usual suspects we need to memorize.
a] Tobacco is attributed to 1/3rd of all cancer deaths in the United States each year. Keith Richards, however, is apparently immune to everything that kills other human beings so do not use him as an enabler.
b] Sunburns are something all of us have experienced at one point or another in our lives. The blisters, the burns, the endless tubes of Aloe Vera gel. It’s over. Those days are gone. there’s nothing you can do about something that’s already been done. Move on. This time with sunscreen.
c] Eat right. It’s funny how the same themes keep resurfacing. No matter what the illness, or prevention of said illness, eating right keeps popping up. So eat right for God’s sake.
d] Keep your weight down. Obesity is not okay no matter how you spin the narrative. The whole “curvy women” or “dad bod” craze is a lame attempt to justify unhealthy lifestyle habits.
e] Stay active. See #3 and #4 and get your butt to the gym.
f] No more than two drinks a day. Most people can pull this off without much difficulty. But this doesn’t mean that not having a drink all week and then binging on the weekends is okay. It’s not. Find the nearest AA meeting and say your prayers. You’ll need them.
g] Work in environmentally safe conditions. In other words, don’t work in a coal mine. For those of you who do, I might suggest a lobotomy.
SUMMARY
Adhere to all the lifestyle habits and throw the dice. Personally, iIm not a fan of getting blood work every 5 minutes because if the numbers aren’t perfect I begin to obsess about it, which makes me more likely to experience stress, and this in turn causes cancer. So no.
4] Depression.
I pulled the following article from Psychocentral.com, which offers a good overview of this topic.
http://psychcentral.com/lib/depression-and-baby-boomers-how-having-it-all-may-be-too-much/
On a personal note, it has been my experience that exercise is the best medication for anxiety and depression.
The problem is that the effects don’t last as long as psycho-pharmaceuticals, so you may want to do both in equal measure.
SUMMARY
Healthy lifestyle habits may include Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors along with your daily multi-vitamin.
5] Eye problems
After a certain point, we all have eye problems.
Hell, even kids who spend too much time on computers have eye problems.
Big deal. Get reading glasses or have your vision corrected, surgically.
SUMMARY
If your eyes are bothering you like the3y do me, go to an eye doctors to determine whether or not you have macular degeneration or cataracts or whatever and go from there.
You know damn well you’re not going to stay off the computer.
6] Alzheimer’s disease
This year, the first baby boomers turn 65. While Alzheimer’s is not normal aging, age is the greatest risk factor for the disease.
So basically, the older you get the greater your risk of death and dying in general.
How does one help prevent your forgetting the names and faces of your children and spouses?
1] Keep your mind active.
2] Eat and drink raw fruits and vegetables.
3] Add vitamin K to your supplements.
4] Reduce stress.
5] Commit to regular exercise.
6] Laugh more.
7] Run 15 miles per week [or the equivalent]
8] Consume more whole fruit.
9] Meditate [i.e., get your shit together and relax]
10] Consume more fish.
11] Quit smoking nicotine.
12] Adopt a Mediterranean diet.
13] Learn early Alzheimer’s symptoms, but don’t obsess about it until you start leaving your car keys in the freezer.
14] Sleep well no matter what it takes to get there.
15] Limit sugar intake.
http://www.alzheimers.net/1-1-15-resolutions-reduce-dementia-2015
7] Arthritis and Joint replacement
“Simply put, regular activity provides lifeblood to the cartilage that cushions joints. Unlike most tissues in the body, cartilage doesn’t receive nutrients from the bloodstream. Instead, it gets nourishment from fluid (called synovial fluid) in the joints. When a joint moves, the fluid sloshes around, giving the cartilage a healthy dose of oxygen and other vital substances. As an added bonus, regular exercise encourages the body to make more synovial fluid.”
I’ll leave it at that.
SUMMARY
If you don’t exercise, you can kiss you ass goodbye years before you technically die.
8] Osteoporosis
Adults who had spine curvature as children can develop severe arthritis in the spine next to their old curves. In other cases, osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, can develop as a complication of menopause or medications as people age, even causing fractures. Forms of arthritis in which joints in the back wear out can also let the spine sag into a bad position.” Dr. Huddleston, mayo Clinic
No surprises here. Try strength training.
SUMMARY
Absent childhood trauma or a genetic predisposition to spinal curvature, the best thing anyone can do to prevent osteoporosis is strength train.
Most older men with that geriatric stoop are usually found wandering around the indoor track on their cell phones.
9] Flu/Pnemonia
Everyone has gotten the flu, and many, pneumonia. They both suck in equal measure.
The best you can do is wash your hands, keep your hands away from your face, get a fly shot, and then say your prayers if you know any. If not, make some up.
If you’re in good shape, your immune system should be strong enough to withstand a bout of either one, though it won’t feel that way.
SUMMARY
We all get sick from time to time.
But when you have less time, you tend to take it more seriously.
It’s not like you get to stay home from school and be served for a week.
This time around you have to cancel your trip to St. John and still have to deal with the office.
10] “Sandwich generation” stress.
There isn’t a damn thing you can do about this one.
In my case, I don’t have kids to worry about – and my mom lives near my brothers. of course, she’s only 83 and still running circles around them at 83.
When she does get old, however, we may be too old to care for her.
SUMMARY
There is no solution to this problem other than exercise and sedatives.
Good luck. You’ll need a lot of that, too.