Baby boomers: ‘fatter’ and ‘sicker’
Baby boomers have the highest obesity rate of any age group in Australia and are fatter and sicker than their parents were, a new study has found. Preliminary research for a $1.4 million project headed by the University of Adelaide has found obesity rates among baby boomers are more than double that of their parents at the same age.
Baby boomers have the highest obesity rate of any age group in Australia and are fatter and sicker than their parents were, a new study has found.
Preliminary research for a $1.4 million project headed by the University of Adelaide has found obesity rates among baby boomers are more than double that of their parents at the same age.
Baby boomers also have twice the rate of asthma and hearing loss than their parents, triple the rate of diabetes and almost double the cholesterol levels of their parents.
Research shows new strategies to reduce obesity among baby boomers in the workforce are urgently needed.
Professor Graeme Hugo AO, director of the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre at the University of Adelaide, says if baby boomers want to delay their retirement plans and remain active in the workforce and the community, it is imperative effective strategies are developed to reduce obesity and related chronic conditions.
Professor Hugo says while the report paints a grim picture, it also offers opportunities.
“Baby boomers are a tremendous social resource for Australia. Their contribution to volunteering in this country is significant and they have a lifetime of accumulated skill and experience to pass on, with 64% intending to work 16 hours or more per week in retirement. However, if we are to harness this potential we need to stem the tide of obesity and improve their health while we can.”
SA Health Minister, the Hon John Hill, says the report is a wake-up call for the baby boomer generation.
“If we really want to take advantage of the additional years of life available to an increasing number of us then we simply have to take better care of our health,” Minister Hill says.
