Baby Boomer Health

As the first wave of baby boomers edges toward retirement, a growing body of evidence suggests that they may be the first generation to enter their golden years in worse health than their parents.

Washington Post staff writer Rob Stein was online for a discussion about the health of post World War II generation on Friday, April 20 at 11:30 a.m. ET.

A transcript follows.

Read more about this in today's story: Baby Boomers Appear to Be Less Healthy Than Parents.

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Washington, D.C.: Yes, I guess so, here I am a Baby Boomer who is still taking care of my children and parents. I am so stressed out at this point that I could just scream. And it is as if no one cares, on the job or at home, it is an expectation that I will spread myself thin enough to take care of everybody. At the same time my health is failing, and no one notices that I am slowly dying. I have lost 3 sisters, and my mother is still living, now she is in a rehab center, expects me to visit her every day with no concern about my work life, or my health. What does one do????

Rob Stein: Hi... That sounds like a very difficult situation, and unfortunately increasingly common among baby boomers, who often are caring for both children and aging parents.

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Oxford, Miss.: I'm wondering if one factor here is that baby boomers are more willing to discuss health problems than their parents were. For example, my grandfather, who is 93 years old, doesn't talk about his chronic pain even though he's stooped over and uses a walker. But my parents, both 60, talk constantly about what hurts, what they're doing about it, how it scares them, etc.

I doubt my grandfather has ever uttered the phrases "I'm winded" or "I need to get in shape."

Rob Stein: Yes, that's definitely a strong possibility. The evidence that has emerged so far has largely been based on surveys asking people about their own health, as opposed to objective measurements of their health. However, such "self-reports" are considered a fairly accurate predictor of actual health and five-year mortality risk.

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West Orange, N.J.: Are the samples used to compare the two generations comparable? Might the earlier cohort of retirees have been a more select, homogenous or privileged group that would have better indicators than the latter sample, at any comparable age?

Rob Stein: Good question. The Health and Retirement Study did try to use comparable groups.

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Toronto: What effect does inadequate sleep have on general health? I read somewhere recently that people on average are sleeping one hour less than a century ago, presumably to try to fit more things into their day.

Rob Stein: There's been a fair amount of research recently examining that question. While there are no definitive answers, there does seem to be increasing evidence that a lack of adequate sleep can have a variety of adverse health effects. And surveys suggest people are sleeping less.

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Washington, D.C.: I definitely think this study is a matter of perception. Baby boomers and all the generations after have a very easy life compared to their parents and grandparents. Technology and sedentary lifestyles have allowed us to do less work so when we exert effort it's magnified compared to "the way it used to be" - the generations before us are probably laughing at what we "complain" about. With advancements in medicine and prolonged life, this just seems ridiculous to me.

Rob Stein: It does remain unclear how much of the difference that surveys are finding are due to perceptions versus actual health. But researchers belief the perceptions probably do reflect poorer health, and certainly indicate baby boomers will be using more health care resources.

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New York City, N.Y.: In the article you reference a man who is on antihypertensive and hypercholesterolemia meds and sighting that as an example of being less fit. I thought that was preventative so that I could exercise longer. I am not taking my ACE so I can put more salt on my food. It is to keep my kidneys healthy. The Lipitor is for a myriad of reasons.

So after reading your article I feel like I failed even with working out 5 days a week for 45+ min per session. Should I just give up and not bother, now that I know taking meds is an indication of my poor health?

Rob Stein: It is unquestionably a good idea to take antihypertensive and cholesterol medications if indicated, and to try to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet. As one of the experts in the story noted, that could lead to better health and less of a risk of disability later in life.

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Ogden, Utah: I'm not sure why this is a surprise, or if it is -- just look around, there are fat people everywhere. Being fat is unhealthy -- my local newspaper actually ran an article today on childhood obesity saying one way to fight it is cut kids down to 2 hours of TV a day -- down to 2 hours? That's the whole evening right there. But boomer parents would think that was reasonable because they watch even more.

Rob Stein: Some public health experts are even more concerned about the next generation because of the childhood obesity rates.

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College Park, Md.: Good morning!! My question is about my parents' mental health. Both were children of the 50's, and would benefit greatly from marriage counseling. They say they know this, but their generation seems to have stigmatized all mental health cre/issues to the point where they are afraid to go. Is there any stop to this cycle?

Rob Stein: Good morning. That does seem to be a common problem. Perhaps you could make an appointment for them and actually offer to escort them to the first session. Just a suggestion.

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Rockville, Md.: What does this mean for future generations: Generation X, Y or anyone thereafter?

Rob Stein: There isn't really much data available yet for younger generations, but the rising childhood obesity rate is raising a lot of concerns.

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Arlington, Va.: This paragraph from your article:

"People are working two jobs. They are not sleeping as much. They're experiencing more job insecurity. They have less time to take care of themselves. They are more socially isolated," said Lisa Berkman of the Harvard School of Public Health. "This all could add up to a huge crisis and really calls for us to examine the things that perhaps we're not doing so well."

leaves me with the feeling that no matter what the government does, they'll only be chipping away at the edge of the problem. Lifestyle changes require a change in the culture, and that's not something the government can change easily. What else can the government do?

Rob Stein: It is very difficult to cause major population wide behavioral changes. It's taken decades, for example, to reduce smoking rates even though the health dangers are well known. And the AIDS epidemic showed how difficult it can be to get people to change other types of behaviors. But over time those shifts can occur with long-term concerted efforts.

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Fairfax, Va.: Any correlations with delayed-onset conditions due to drug-taking? Have there been any good longitudinal studies on marijuana and LSD use?

Rob Stein: None of the studies that I cited in my piece examined that question.

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Spirngfield, Va.: When my mother was in her 40's, all her friends were having hysterectomies. When I was in my 30's and 40's a myriad of my friends were diagnosed with various cancers. I think this is partially due to the number of chemicals we grew up with that our parents did not -- in the fertilizers, in our foods (Wonder Bread! Fortified 12 ways!!), in the pesticides that were regularly used (remember mosquito spraying?)

Rob Stein: There's obviously been a lot of concern about environmental carcinogens. The kinds of health problems that experts are mostly concerned about in relation to the baby boomer generation, however, seem to be more likely linked to behavioral issues, such as weight, diet, exercise and stress.

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Washington, D.C.: After years of hearing my baby boomer parents and their siblings talk about their parents' refusal to get appropriate medical help when getting older, I find myself in the same position. Any tips on how this baby boomer child can get her parents to go to the doctor for a check-up?

Rob Stein: That can be a difficult issue. Sometimes just the idea of finding a doctor and making the appointment can be daunting. One strategy is to simply make the appointment for the parent and then take them there.

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Washington, D.C.: Morning, It seems that the boomers were the first group to really embrace such things as antidepressants and began to mix traditional and modern medicine concepts (at least for some people) What do you think the aging baby boomers will help us determine the long term effects of antidepressant use and health? the quality of life in aging years? How about the long term affects for mixing meds?

Rob Stein: Yes, this certainly is the first generation to really have embraced those therapies widely. It will be interesting to see what the long-term impact will be, and whether researchers will be able to tease that out.

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Rob Stein: Thanks everyone for participating. Lots of really good, interesting questions!

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