Baby boomers, although living longer than the previous generation, are actually less healthy, a new study says.
Americans born from 1946 through 1964 have higher cholesterol and blood pressure, are more overweight and are more likely to need the help of a cane or walker, thanks to a more sedentary lifestyle, Bloomberg reports, citing a study in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Modern medicine, though, continues to prolong life.
"We are not as healthy as we think," Dana King, the study's lead author, told Bloomberg. "There needs to be a new emphasis and continued attention to programs to improve healthy lifestyles in this age group."
In the study, U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination surveys from 1988 to 1994, and then from 2007 to 2010, looked at lifestyle, health status, presence of chronic disease and disability. Baby boomers are becoming sick earlier in life, as 40 percent are obese, compared with 29 percent a generation earlier. And more than half of boomers reported getting no regular physical activity, up from 17 percent in the earlier generation.
Evan Weese covers real estate, money and the business of sports for Columbus Business First.