The Life and Times of Baby Boomers

One of Several Fears

 

Baby boomers (often shortened to boomers) are the demographic cohort following the Silent Generation and preceding Generation X. The generation is generally defined as people born from 1946 to 1964, during the post–World War II baby boom. The term is also used outside the United States but the dates, the demographic context and the cultural identifiers may vary. The baby boom has been described variously as a "shockwave" and as "the pig in the python". Baby boomers are often parents of late Gen Xers and Millennials.

Today there are 73,000,000 baby boomers out of 332,000,000 Americans.  Boomers are far and away the largest generation in American and by 2030 every single one of them will be over age 65.  The economic, social, and healthcare impact of this development ais enormous.  Just as an example, there is no person on earth who has a clue how Social Security and Medicare can be financed for the Baby Boomer generation. 

Baby Boomers harbor several legitimate concerns about their future.  Near the top of the list is cardiovascular disease. 

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, heart failure, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythms, congenital heart disease, valvular heart disease, carditis, aortic aneurysms, peripheral artery disease, thromboembolic disease, and venous thrombosis.

The underlying mechanisms vary depending on the disease. Coronary artery disease, stroke, and peripheral artery disease involve atherosclerosis.   This may be caused by high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of exercise, obesity, high blood cholesterol, poor diet, and excessive alcohol consumption, among others. High blood pressure is estimated to account for approximately 13% of CVD deaths, while tobacco accounts for 9%, diabetes 6%, lack of exercise 6% and obesity 5%.  Rheumatic heart disease may follow untreated strep throat.

I own a blood pressure monitoring device that syncs up with my cell phone.   It is manufactured by an English firm, Withings, and sold and supported by Nokia in the United States.   I monitor my blood pressure accurately at about 110/60 in my own home daily.  These devices are very affordable and extremely accurate.  The maintain a record of blood pressure readings over time.

It is estimated that up to 90% of CVD may be preventable. Prevention of CVD involves improving risk factors though: healthy eating, exercise, avoidance of tobacco smoke and limiting alcohol intake. Treating risk factors, such as high blood pressure, blood lipids and diabetes is also beneficial. Treating people who have strep throat with antibiotics can decrease the risk of rheumatic heart disease. The use of aspirin in people who are otherwise healthy is of unclear benefit.

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide except Africa. Together CVD resulted in 17.9 million deaths (32.1%) in 2015, up from 12.3 million (25.8%) in 1990. Deaths, at a given age, from CVD are more common and have been increasing in much of the developing world, while rates have declined in most of the developed world since the 1970s. coronary artery disease and stroke account for 80% of CVD deaths in males and 75% of CVD deaths in females. Most cardiovascular disease affects older adults. In the United States 11% of people between 20 and 40 have CVD, while 37% between 40 and 60, 71% of people between 60 and 80, and 85% of people over 80 have CVD. The average age of death from coronary artery disease in the developed world.    Diagnosis and disease typically

occurs seven to ten years after the developing world.  Diagnosis of diseasr typically occurs seven to ten years earlier in men as compared to women.

What can you do to prevent or reverse heart disease? Studies indicate that pairing a healthy diet with regular exercise is the best way not only to prevent heart disease, but to reverse some risk factors.

The majority of Baby Boomers have heard of exercise, but never personally tried it.  In 2016 I weighed 340 pounds and today I weigh 160 pounds.  I attribute my weight loss to two factors.  Weight loss and diet.  My son turned me on to exercise and it is now a joyful part of my daily life.  My exercise routine is simple.  I walk vigorously on a treadmill one to one and a half miles per evening and lift free weights through repetition the equivalent of 800 pounds.   It has worked for me, and I have no intention of recommending it to you.  There are an infinite number of healthy exercise routines, and every Baby Boomer should find a routine that works for them.  I will say more about diet later.

Is it necessary to pound the miles at the gym every day, or will a simple 30-minute walk do the trick? It is always best to check with your doctor, but most research shows that any type of exercise that you enjoy and will perform on a regular basis is best.

Why Exercise Matters

The heart needs exercise just like any other muscle. Muscles that are utilized regularly become stronger and healthier, whereas muscles that are not used weaken and atrophy. When it is exercised, the heart can pump more blood through the body and continue working at optimal efficiency with little strain. This will likely help it to stay healthy longer. Regular exercise also helps to keep arteries and other blood vessels flexible, ensuring good blood flow and normal blood pressure.

The Danger of Inactivity

According to the American Heart Association Journal Circulation, as many as 250,000 deaths per year in the United States can be attributed to a lack of regular exercise. Living a sedentary, or inactive, lifestyle has consistently been one of the top five risk factors for heart disease. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and obesity. Those with low levels of physical fitness also experience a higher rate of cardiovascular events, like heart attack and death.

 

According to research from the University of South Carolina, men who reported more than 23 hours a week of sedentary activity had a 64 percent greater risk of dying from heart disease than those who reported less than 11 hours. Inactivity also affects other risk factors for heart disease. For example, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, sedentary people have a 35 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure than physically active people do.

 

The Benefits of Exercise

While a lack of physical activity raises the risk for heart disease, engaging in regular exercise lowers it. Consider the following:

According to Elijah Saunders, M.D., head of the hypertension section of the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Division of Cardiology, exercise helps control blood pressure because it stimulates “nitric oxide,” which keeps blood vessels open.

A study published in the British Medical Journal found that women who committed to regular brisk walks raised their levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol. This regular exercise correlated to an over 50 percent reduction in coronary events.

 

Researchers found that heart attack patients who participated in a formal exercise program experienced a reduced death rate of 20 to 25 percent. Some studies showed an even higher rate of reduction. Several large reviews of past research also conclude that those patients who engage in exercise-based rehabilitation after a heart attack are more likely to live longer.

A review of studies over the last half-century show that physical activity reduces the risk of coronary artery disease. The most physically active subjects generally had disease rates 50 percent lower than those who are sedentary.

A meta-analysis of 52 exercise training trials with nearly 5,000 subjects showed reductions in triglyceride and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.

Even those with heart failure were found to benefit from exercise, which increases the heart’s ability to pump blood over time and improves quality of life. In 15 controlled trials, for example, exercise training was found to increase peak cardiac output by over 20 percent.

How Much Is Enough?

According to the American Heart Association, exercising 30 minutes a day five days a week will improve your heart health and help reduce your risk of heart disease. They define “physical activity” as anything that makes you move your body and burn calories. This includes climbing stairs, playing sports, walking, jogging, swimming, biking, and more.

No matter what you do, all studies indicate that some exercise is better than none. According to a review published in Circulation, people who engaged in 150 minutes of moderate-intensity leisure activity per week had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who reported no exercise. The more you exercise, the lower your risk. The Mayo Clinic suggests that you can even benefit from 10-minute intervals several times a day.

 

Always check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. They can help you find activities that will increase your heart health without the risk of injury.

 

Diet

The baby boomer generation is redefining the aging process. The perception of men and women in their 50s and 60s has changed, especially when a growing percentage of the population is living for more than a century. This aging demographic is facing myriad lifestyle and health issues including arthritis, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Here is the good news: Consuming more nutrient-rich foods can go a long way toward keeping boomer patients living longer, healthier lives.

A Changing Demographic

The boomer population needs certain foods to stay strong and healthy. In addition to a well-balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and rich in fruits and vegetables, certain nutrients help prevent age-related diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease.

As Carol Wolin-Riklin, MA, RD, LD, a bariatric nutrition coordinator at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston explains, baby boomers have entered the era of stratification. “The latest subdivision to arise from the baby boomer group is the ‘golden boomer’,” she says. “The golden boomers are baby boomers that have entered or are entering their retirement years. Boomers are remaining more active later in life and are redefining traditional roles for seniors. This makes them a valuable target for nutritional and diet companies touting the elusive fountain of youth to market their services to.

 

 

 

As Wolin-Riklin explains, boomers intent on thwarting old age may be lured into bogus or alternative nutraceuticals that have no evidence-based research to support the claims made by the manufacturers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  So, what are the top nutrition issues for boomers? According to Wolin-Riklin, former public health malnutrition issues have been replaced by issues of dysnutrition in the new millennium, which leads to the need for weight management, glycemic control, cardiac health through diet management, and concern for older boomers plagued by high blood pressure and obesity.

“Boomers’ nutritional needs are no different than those of the senior generation before them,” Wolin-Riklin says. “It is the negative lifestyle habits—lack of exercise [and consuming] processed foods, fast foods, high carbohydrate snacks and meals—that have caused the rise of metabolic syndrome comorbidities: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes.”

 

Influential Factors

Although most boomers have access to nutrition information from the Internet, many have trouble discerning accurate and reliable information from false and misleading information.                                                                    

In losing 180 pounds, I changed my diet radically.   I eat peanuts as a source of protein, strawberries, pineapple, mixed fruit, an orange a day, a granny smith apple a day, sardines, cottage cheese, frozen red grapes, a small piece of dark chocolate among other nutritious foods:

I will not eat:

•       Anything fried

  Candy

•       Dessert

•       Canned fruit (sugar concentration)

 

                                                                                                                                                     

For my last birthday, I had as an alternative to birthday cake, a granny smith apple with a candle in it. 

Is this a good diet for you?   Yes, but I would not recommend it.  Everyone should select a diet that works for them.  For an example, many people are allergic to peanuts and would be horrified to see the quantity of peanuts I eat.

 

“Doctors and other healthcare professionals could influence nutrition choices if they spent more time with patients,” says Freeman T. Changamire, MD, ScD, a family medicine physician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Mass., and assistant professor of family medicine at Tufts University. “This would give them more time to focus on nutrition issues. The current primary care visit is only 15 minutes. In this time with a patient, the doctor is supposed to obtain a medical history, do a physical exam, make a diagnosis, order lab tests, prescribe medicines, and counsel a patient. So, you can imagine how much time is left to counsel on nutritional issues in a primary care visit. Unfortunately, we spend extraordinarily little time on this aspect of a patient, which is particularly important and central to a patient’s health.”

 

“Doctors do have a large influence on their patients’ care,” Wolin-Riklin says. “Nutrition information and education must be provided by doctors and nurses in a limited time span in the medical office. This is often ineffective. Referral to a registered dietitian who can devote the proper amount of time for an effective and informative transfer of nutrition information can be a more effective management technique.”

 

Or better yet, have a dietitian in the office to spend quality time with patients to discuss diet and exercise strategies.  Healthcare providers also need to educate boomers on reading labels to help identify good food choices. This is one of the most helpful educational tidbits doctors and healthcare practitioners can utilize to begin nutrition education.

 

As Dee Sandquist, MS, RD, LD, CDE, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, explains, physicians and other healthcare providers need to work with their patients to make one change at a time. “Let the patient be successful and then add another change instead of trying to have the patient make too many changes at once,” Sandquist says. “Ask patients, ‘What is preventing you from making a change?’ The answer to this question may surprise you. Work with patients to find a strategy that will work for them.”

 

And remember that nutrition needs increase as patients age, yet calorie needs decrease unless they are vigorously active every day. Consequently, the older patients become, the more every bite must count. “Eat junk, you’ll feel like junk. Eat well and your body will repay you a thousandfold,” Somer says. “Also, many medications compromise nutritional status. For example, acid-blocking medications reduce absorption of vitamin B12, increasing the risk for dementialike symptoms. Statins increase the need for coenzyme Q10.”

Experts recommend providing boomers with tech-smart techniques to help them monitor their own diet and exercise regimens. Such strategies include online food journals, online support groups for eating disorders, and nutritional information websites displaying caloric content and fat, carbohydrate, and protein percentages for restaurant menu

Susan Kasik-Miller, MS, RD, CNSC, a clinical dietitian at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, Wis., recommends physicians tell their boomer patients about the importance of making dietary changes and what benefits such changes will mean to them and their health. “Be very concrete on what diet message you want to convey; do not provide multiple messages at one time,” she says. “Give specific examples of foods that will provide the nutrition [boomers] need. Instead of saying, ‘Eat a low-fat diet,’ tell them, ‘Eat more chicken and fish than beef, and choose lean cuts of beef and pork when you eat them.’”

 

Treat each of your boomer patients with the mindset that proper nutrition is preventive medicine and reinforce that people who eat healthier live longer lives. To help educate your patients, refer them to websites such as www.eatright.org, www.diabetes.org, www.heart.org, and www.cancer.org.

“And remember, daily activity is critical for health and works hand in hand with nutrition,” says Michelle M. Bush, MPH, RD, CHES, a clinical dietitian at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif. “Boomers, like other individuals with hectic lifestyles, may be challenged in making exercise a priority. Compressing all physical activity into one weekend can cause injury and does not provide maximum benefits. However, 30 minutes of daily activity has the ability to increase bone and muscle mass, improve cardiac function, stabilize blood values, and promote weight loss

Devising Nutrition Strategies

Many registered dietitians agree that boomers are interested in maintaining or improving their health but do not necessarily want to change their eating habits. They would rather take nutritional supplements than seek proper nutrition through their diets. “The downside of this is that vitamins will not make up for a poor diet,” says Jennifer Wilmuth, MS, RD, LD, a registered dietitian at Texas Regional Medical Center at Sunnyvale. “Vitamins are not regulated through the FDA, so only the manufacturer of each vitamin knows what and how much the vitamin contains in each particular nutrient.”

 

While there are benefits for some elders in taking vitamin/mineral supplements, a healthful diet that includes vitamins and other nutrients is the best way for boomers to supply their bodies with essential nutrients. According to Sandquist, boomers need to eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which can all help reduce the use of over-the-counter laxative products.

 

“Boomers can also reduce pain by including foods such as cherry juice and healthy fats such as olive oil, canola oil, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and nuts,” Sandquist says. She suggests boomers should typically fill one half of their plates with fruits and vegetables, one quarter with whole grains (think brown rice, whole grain rolls, and quinoa), and one quarter with high-quality protein such as lean beef, pork, turkey, or chicken.

 

Boomers often approach aging seeking to remain vital, sexy, and energetic well into their 80s and beyond. However, as Somer points out, nearly seven of 10 of them are overweight, increasing their risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, hypertension, cataracts, sexual dysfunction, and a host of other age-related ills.

 

“First and foremost, cutting back on calories from processed foods and increasing exercise throughout life are paramount to aging well and staying vital,” Somer says. “Boomers should focus on antioxidant-rich foods such as colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, red wine, green tea, and even a bit of dark chocolate. These foods combined contain almost 1 million phytonutrients, many of which are antioxidants that protect delicate cell membranes from damage associated with aging, from heart disease to dementia.

 

Physicians should suggest boomers aim for a minimum of nine servings of colorful fruits/vegetables per day, at least three servings of 100% whole grains per day, four servings of legumes per week, and a glass of red wine and bite of 70% cocoa dark chocolate a few times per week, according to Somer.

Bush notes that vitamin B12 is linked to improved cognitive function and may reduce dementia, possibly making supplementation beneficial. “Most individuals should be taking a vitamin D supplement and be mindful of adequate vitamin D intake with foods. Guidelines have recently been increased to 600 to 800 IU based on age,” Bush says, adding that “adequate fiber intake is rarely met in the average boomer. Individuals need to consume 25 to 35 g of fiber on a daily basis, [and] adequate fluid intake is important when increasing fiber intake.”

 

Remain vigilant concerning boomers’ need to have blood work completed on a regular basis to monitor cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and vitamin and mineral levels to maintain overall health. And Somer explains that the omega-3 fat DHA is critical for boosting mood, protecting the brain from age-related memory loss, and lowering heart disease risk, among other functions. “Boomers should aim for no less than two servings of fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, or sardines a week, incorporate more foods fortified with an algal or vegetarian, contaminate-free DHA, and consider a DHA supplement,” she says. “Boomers need at least 220 mg of DHA a day.”

Bone health represents another important nutritional issue boomers face. Osteoporosis is quite common among postmenopausal women who fail to get enough exercise, calcium, and vitamin D. “Adequate vitamin D, calcium, and exercise are important for bone health, improving muscle strength and balance, and preventing falls,” says Changamire. “I would recommend vitamin D and calcium supplements for postmenopausal women.”

In our society of overconsumption, it is not surprising that many boomers are facing the harmful effects of obesity. “If people don’t remain vigorously active, they begin to lose about 1% to 2% of their muscle mass by their mid-30s,” Somer says. “That equates to a 5- to 10-lb loss of muscle every decade. As they lose muscle, metabolism slows, weight creeps on, and disease risk escalates. The weaker they get, the less they do. Middle age spread is merely the first step on a continuum that, if not stopped, will end up with the patient using a walker or a wheelchair down the road. All of this is almost completely preventable.”

 

 

 

Maura Keller, a Minneapolis-based writer and editor, has provided a list of top nutrition myths/facts to share with Boomers:

Myth: Vitamins will compensate for a poor diet.

Fact: Vitamins are not regulated through the FDA, so only the manufacturers of vitamins know what and how much the vitamin contains in each nutrient. It is better to obtain vitamins and minerals through diet.

Myth: A rich chocolate sundae before bedtime is more fattening than the same sundae eaten at lunchtime.

Fact: Timing has no direct effect on how the body uses calories. What patients eat, not when, makes the difference. No matter when they are eaten, excess calories can add up to extra body fat.

Myth: Excess carbohydrates, not fats, cause weight gain.

Fact: Excess carbohydrates are no more fattening than excess calories from any source: fats, carbohydrates, or proteins. Too many calories from any source are stored as body fat.

Myth: Older patients no longer need milk.

Fact: Milk is a great source of protein and calcium, and it provides vitamin D, which older patients may not get enough of, particularly in the winter

Myth: Avoiding carbohydrate foods will help patients lose weight.

Fact: Controlling portion sizes of carbohydrate foods and avoiding high-fat additives such as butter or margarine on bread will help patients lose weight, especially if they choose whole grains that contain fiber.

Myth: All fats are bad.

Fact: It is essential to include adequate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in the daily diet. These can be found in foods such as nuts, avocados, flax seed, olive oil, and various types of fish.

Myth: To lower cholesterol, it is most important to eliminate high-cholesterol foods.

 

Fact: Research shows it is of primary importance to reduce saturated and trans fats (animal products, processed foods, etc.) from the diet. Remind patients to look for trans and saturated fats on food labels when trying to lower blood cholesterol.

Myth: Eggs and seafood should be eliminated from the diet.

Fact: Boomers sometimes are concerned that these foods will elevate blood cholesterol. Research shows that the dietary fat in these foods has little effect on blood cholesterol.

Boomers’ Nutritional Needs

Susan Kasik-Miller, MS, RD, CNSC, a clinical dietitian at Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, Wis., says there are several key nutrition facts that physicians and boomer patients need to keep in mind, including the following:

 

• Calorie needs decline with age so eating less, eating fewer calories, and increasing activity are critical.

 

• Meal planning is the best strategy for maintaining a good diet.

 

• Three meals per day are best for a healthful diet; six small meals may be better tolerated.

• A meal should include at least three food groups.

 

• Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

 

• Skipping meals does not save on calories.

 

• Beverages can contribute significant numbers of calories to a patient’s diet.

 

• All food groups need to be included in a healthful diet.

 

• All foods can be part of a good diet, but quantity is an important consideration

In closing, Baby Boomers cannot only extend their lives through healthier lifestyles, specifically excise and diet, perhaps the greatest benefit is increasing the quality of life through disease avoidance.   I hope you find this helpful in your own life.

 

Jan Ricks Jennings

Senior Consultant

Senior Management Resources, LLC

 

Jan.Jennings@EagleTalons.net

JanJenningsBlog.Blogspot.com

 

June 23, 2021