Boomers Go for Cosmetic Changes

How do baby boomers feel about aging? A survey shows that while many are turning to cosmetic surgery and hair dye in an effort to stay looking young, a startling 43 percent say they'd rather eat what they want and live just 10 more years.

The survey, A New Age of Aging - A Study of Baby Boomer Behaviors on Growing Old, reveals that America's 75 million boomers express anxiety about aging, yet they find it easier to change cosmetically than get rid of unhealthy habits.

"The boomer generation's credo seems to be: 'The heart is willing, but the flesh is weak,'" says Daniel Perry, executive director of the Washington, D.C. based Alliance for Aging Research, which released the survey. "What we see is that baby boomers are expressing some anxiety that they are edging into middle age. Yet, they are still taking baby steps when it comes to changing their health behaviors, and they know it."

Making cosmetic changes

Members of America's largest generation who are between ages 38 and 56 are under a lot more pressure to remain attractive, with 31 percent having colored their graying hair, 42 percent of them dieting to lose weight and 67 percent of them eating what they call "healthier foods". They're flocking to vitamins as well, with 57 percent saying they take dietary supplements.

But when it comes to taking harder steps, such as low-fat diets and exercise, baby boomers are not that enthusiastic. "When we asked them if they would settle for living just 10 more years, if they could eat anything they wanted, if they could live diet-free and not worry about their cholesterol or if they could live a lot longer if they went on a strict diet, we were surprised that as many as 43 percent said they'd rather eat what they want," Perry says.

"What I think they are saying is that they really don't have the confidence to make the kind of significant health changes they have to," Perry surmises. "Eighty-six percent said they made diet or nutritional changes in the past year, so we know they are beginning to make the effort. But half of those we surveyed said they are not making enough changes. The older people we surveyed felt they were more able to make significant dietary changes, but the boomers are not there yet."

Indeed, more than a third of the boomers said it would take a diagnosis of some major disease to make big lifestyle changes. What they ought to know, Perry says, is that between the ages of 50 and 59, hypertension, diabetes and arthritis triples.

Tips for healthy aging

If boomers want to get serious about staving off the looming effects of aging, they need to gain control over what they eat and exercise more, Perry says.

Some specifics:

• Eat a diet lower in fat and higher in fiber. Emphasize fruits and vegetables, minimize meat, saturated and hydrogenated fats, and get a hold of that sweet tooth. Keep the portions down to maintain a healthy weight.

• Engage in aerobic exercise daily. Also, resistance training becomes increasingly important for increasing or maintaining strength and muscle. Increased muscle tissue burns more calories, thus more fat, reduces your heart disease risk and makes you feel like you've got a whole lot more energy. Talk with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

• Keep stress to a minimum. Humor, meditation, tai chi, exercise and optimism are some of the important ways you can manage the stress bugaboo.

• Keep up on your regular physical checkups. Get screened for colorectal cancer. Get a mammogram. Talk to your doctor about screening for your prostate, and maintain your oral health.

"There's a lot boomers can be doing for themselves, but they are not taking strong enough control over the diet and exercise," Perry warns. "They're waiting for research to discover some silver bullet. There's a strong denial system in this age group. But the fact is, they're going to age, and taking control of that aging is the real answer."

Related Articles High Blood Pressure and Aging Keys to Healthy Aging: What You Can Do to Age Well Exercise a Day May Keep Diabetes at Bay

External Source The Alliance for Aging Research

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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