Boomers risk shorter lifespan
hamiltonspectator.com
Obesity soars by 60 per cent
By Peter Van Harten
The Hamilton Spectator
(Feb 14, 2006)
What a bummer for boomers -- a heart jolt on Valentine's Day, no less.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation is warning that the boomers now hitting 60 may not live as long as the generation ahead of them.
"Is 60 the new 70?," the foundation asks in its annual report on Canadians' health, which says the health clock is ticking faster for the Baby Boom generation than for its elders.
The foundation says the 59-year-old of today is in worse shape than the 59-year-old of 10 years ago.
The 150,000 boomers in Hamilton today are also in worse shape than today's 65 to 74-year-olds. And they're deluding themselves about their health.
Why?
* rates of obesity have soared nearly 60 per cent for today's boomers.
* a surprising 52 per cent are inactive despite today's focus on healthy living.
* yet 80 per cent think they will live longer than previous generations.
"It's a real shock when you find out you are a mere mortal," says Doug Fralick, 58, of Hamilton.
Fralick used to "live the good life without worry " years back as a foreign-exchange currency trader with Dominion Securities on Wall Street in New York.
"Lots of eating, drinking, smoking, partying and having a great time," he said. "People started having heart attacks around me so I decided to get out."
The only numbers he's concentrating on nowadays are blood pressure -- trying for 140 after spiking at 180 -- and weight -- down 20 and aiming for 200 pounds after hitting 240.
"I didn't have the six-pack, I had the whole barrel," said Fralick, who now takes daily blood pressure medication and goes "to the doctor all the time."
The Heart and Stroke Foundation report says about 1.3 million or 21 per cent of Canada's baby boomers (45 to 59 years) have already been diagnosed with heart disease, stroke or high blood pressure. And the rate is increasing as boomers age.
A third of all Canadians die of heart disease and stroke. There have been about 40,000 trips to hospital for cardiovascular operations and procedures among the 150,000 boomers in Hamilton.
And what could be most alarming for the group is that about a quarter of health-care workers are boomers, too.
"When they retire, the heart-health crunch may become a heart-health crisis," said Toronto cardiologist Dr. Beth Abramson in a news release.
In surveys, 80 per cent of boomers said they believe the life expectancy of Canadians will stay the same or continue to increase, says the report.
Epidemiologist Corinne Hodgson says they seem to have "rose-coloured glasses on.
"They are planning exotic retirement travel and on having the time of their lives," she says.
"But you are not going to be travelling and having the time of your life in the ICU (Intensive care unit) waiting for your bypass; that's going to be a crimp in your style."
A poor lifestyle leads to diabetes and other conditions that will kill you while there is still money in your registered retirement investment fund.
The increase in adult-onset Type 2 diabetes now being seen among teenagers is alarming, she adds.
The report says 21 per cent of boomers are still clinging to their cigarettes, although that's down from 29 per cent for the same-age group 10 years ago.
But only 11 per cent among today's seniors ages 65 to 75 are still lighting up.
Surprisingly, about 58 per cent of today's boomers think that weight has little or no effect on heart health.
Fralick has plenty of motivation to clean up his act.
He has a 21/2-year-old granddaughter named Logan. And his son-in-law -- a fitness trainer -- is harassing him about getting fit.
Fralick says he's now doing what he can to live longer.
"Grandkids give you a new perspective," he explains.
"You want to take care of yourself and see them get married."
Besides, Logan weighs nearly 40 pounds and you have to be in shape to carry about that much love.
Fralick has delighted his wife by taking up cooking duties and downloading health-conscious recipes from the www.heartandstroke.ca website.
Reading labels for the best nutritional values extends shopping trips to more than an hour, now, instead of the usual 20 minutes, he points out.
"Who knew there were so many different kinds of fat?" Fralick asks.
"What happened to the good old days when we didn't worry about this kind of stuff?"
TIPS FOR BOOMERS
Take charge of your health. It's never too late, and even small changes in your lifestyle can add years to your life!
Here's what you can do to lower your risk:
* Be aware of your risk factors.
* Be smoke-free.
* Be physically active.
* Know and control your blood pressure.
* Eat a healthy diet that is lower in fat, especially saturated and trans fat.
* Maintain a healthy weight.
* Manage your diabetes.
* Limit alcohol use.
* Reduce stress.
* See your doctor regularly and follow your doctor's advice. |
