STORY BYWe had poodle skirts, '67 Mustangs. and waistlines.
We trusted no one over 30, except Ed Sullivan.
Social security was ample; social diseases, remote.
We were lean, sunkissed and knew only one kid with polio.
Our knees demanded 1,000 jumps on the neighbor's trampoline
before the hunt for fire flies lured us away.
Who were we? We were America 's youth: The Baby Boomers.
Who are we now? That's a good question.
HealthLeader invites gerontologist Dr. Andy Achenbaum to explore our new identities.
Join us.
Human senescence (se-nés-ens) is the cellular process of decay. For plants, it's when leaves begin to fall. For us, it is the more lyrical word for aging.
Most of us assess our age by how we feel. We dread decline. A recent survey by the National Council on the Aging showed more senior citizens worry about their health (42 percent ) than their finances (36 percent).
“Senescence begins and middle age ends the day your descendants outnumber your friends.”Pollsters find that older Americans nowadays feel more positive about their health than did persons over 65 a generation ago. The New Aged try to stay healthy.
The percentage of elderly men (but not older women) who smoke has declined, reducing the risk of lung and bladder cancers and heart disease. The aged on average are less obese than the young. In contrast to the third of those between the ages of 18 and 30 who indulge in binge drinking, alcohol consumption among the aged is down, abstention on the rise. Unlike their parents, today's senior citizens are not couch potatoes. They walk, they swim, and they climb stairs regularly.
Not all health news is good. African Americans, women, and those over 75 are more likely to report poor health—complaints validated by their doctors. Chronic illness has become more prevalent as men and women live longer. More than half of all Americans over 80 report at least two chronic ailments, including visual and hearing impairment, hypertension, stroke, depression, and especially arthritis.
Since women on average live longer than men, they are more likely to report health problems. Disabilities acquired in midlife sometimes greatly limit functional capacities in late life.
Physicians are recommending increased medication for high cholesterol, asthma, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Almost half of all Americans over 65 take three or more prescribed drugs, compared to a third of all senior citizens a decade earlier. The number of drugs-not to mention over-the-counter remedies-increases with age. Those over 75, who visit their physicians or go to a hospital outpatient clinic, typically take five or more medications. Elderly women are more likely than older men to take anti-depressants.
Demography is destiny: population aging will change the delivery of health services in America. Extra years give the New Aged and Boomers unprecedented opportunities to enjoy life while continuing to make contributions to society.
As they live longer, the New Aged will require (and demand) a different sort of medical care than their grandparents received. Elder care involves extensive medical histories, selecting the right combination of high-tech and low-tech interventions-courses of action unnecessary for most younger patients.
In the months ahead, we will focus on some of the accomplishments of geriatricians and other health care specialists in improving the quality of life of older Americans. And we will examine remaining impediments. How will this young science, as it matures, alter the face of medicine for all age groups?
UPDATED: 1-03-2006
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©2000-2006 Office of Institutional Advancement, UT-Houston
Dr. Andrew Achenbaum is a noted gerontologist and visiting fellow at The University of Texas McGovern Center of Health, Humanities and the Human Spirit.
See Dr. Achenbaum also at:
Food Irradiation
and Safety
On August 22, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a final rule that allows the use of irradiation to make fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach safer and last longer without spoiling.
Irradiating fresh iceberg lettuce and spinach will help protect consumers from disease-causing bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli). Illnesses from these bacteria range from uncomfortable symptoms to life-threatening health problems.
The foods affected by the final rule are
Irradiation (also sometimes termed "ionizing radiation") is a process of treating products with a measured dose of radiation. Food irradiation is not new. FDA has conducted irradiation safety evaluations for more than 40 years and has determined the process to be safe for use on a variety of foods.
After studying the safety of irradiating fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh spinach, FDA has determined that these greens, when irradiated under the conditions specified in the final rule, retain their nutrient value and are safe to eat.
FDA considers irradiation a complement to, not a replacement for, proper food-handling by producers, processors, and consumers. Irradiation is just another tool to reduce the levels of disease-causing microorganisms on fresh iceberg lettuce and fresh pinach.
Irradiation does not take the place of washing. FDA continues to recommend that consumers wash fresh and bagged produce before eating unless the packaging specifically states that the product has been pre-washed.
For more information, go to: http://www.fda.gov)
