Is it just me, or has everyone’s social media timelines been flooded lately, with declarations by women who are deciding to follow Oprah’s advice and live their best lives? Whether seeking out our purpose by trying new and different things, or promoting happiness through meditation or self-reflection, more of us are focusing on living life to the fullest. For women, there are a few good reasons why living your best life should include getting and staying healthy.
According to a recent MDVIP[1] survey, women born into the Baby Boomer generation had the good sense to take more preventive health measures than Gen Xers and Millennials even care to consider. Even so, boomers are prone to some pretty serious health issues. A 2017 article from The Benefits Guide[2] says the American Heart Association estimates that 3 out of 5 baby boomers will suffer from at least one chronic health condition by 2030. Assuming at least 1 in 3 of them will be women, it’s a safe bet that even more prevention is needed if they hope to continue being the “healthiest generation”.
If you’ve ever had a conversation with a female friend or loved one about health, you might have run across someone who asked, “Why bother doing all that work to stay healthy? We’re all going to die from something.” As true as this might be, raise your hand if you want to increase the chances that it happens sooner rather than later. Oddly enough, this seems to be the prevailing attitude among Gen Xers. The MDVIP survey revealed that even though they understand that prevention is the key to better health and a longer life expectancy, they are either too busy or too afraid to make it a priority.
Even as Millennials urge other generations to “stay woke” about everything, they too have issues with attending to their health. They typically sport an air of invincibility that puts them at greater risk for certain diseases. An article from Benefits Pro[3] shares several reasons that this tech-savvy generation may not even make it to retirement. From hemorrhoid problems to what researchers call “text neck” (due to staring down at a phone for hours at a time), many millennial women might need a wake up call themselves.
So, what can women do about the growing risk of a shorter life expectancy? Well, it’s always good to know what you’re up against. Here is a short list of health risks for each generation to be aware of, along with some steps we can take toward prevention.
Baby Boomers (Born between 1946 and 1964)
Diabetes
Arthritis
Obesity
Alzheimer’s or Dementia
Generation X (Born between 1965 and 1980)
Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Heart Disease
Anxiety or Depression
Cancer
Millennials (Born between 1981 and the mid-1990’s to 2000)
Obesity
Stroke
Sexually Transmitted Disease
Alcoholism
Diet and lifestyle changes like reducing carb intake, drinking more water, eating smaller portions, eating more fruits and veggies, and increasing physical activity can help prevent diabetes, stroke, and high blood pressure. It doesn’t hurt to watch that salt/sodium intake to prevent HBP as well.
Eating healthier foods like fruits and vegetables and maintaining a healthy weight can also help slow the onset of arthritis. Exercising regularly, eating smaller portions and making healthier food choices like leafy greens helps to fight obesity. Getting plenty of rest/sleep, eating a nutrient high diet, and staying physically active and mentally engaged can help to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Are you noticing a pattern here? With maybe the exception of alcoholism, regular check-ups can help detect each of these health risks. But you knew that already, right?
Some of these health issues cross generational lines, so preventing them should be a priority for all of us. Michelle Obama agrees. In a 2012 Women’s Health Magazine[4] article, she stresses the value of getting routine health screenings as a preventive measure for women to avoid some of the same conditions we have mentioned. Her Let’s Move! campaign to fight childhood obesity mirrors the same ideas. In a speech to the United States Olympic Committee during the 100 Days Out Countdown to the 2016 Olympic Games, she discusses the idea of the USOC providing opportunities for millions of American children to participate in Olympic sports in their communities. “They’re going to be learning the habits we’ve been emphasizing through the Let’s Move! Initiative – habits like staying active, fueling your body with good food so that you can actually compete in the way that you need to (Michelle Obama, 2016).[5] This starts a whole new generation of girls moving toward healthy habits and prepares them to compete in a global society.
So, here’s some more food for life-saving thought: If you do all that you can to prevent health problems now, you might save some money in healthcare costs down the road. But that’s a whole other article. The more dedicated we are to a proactively healthy lifestyle, the greater the chances are that we can actually live our best lives.
[1] Gen X: The Time to Get Serious About Longevity is Now, 2017. MDVIP website. https://www.mdvip.com/about-mdvip/blog/gen-x-time-to-get-serious-about-longevity. Accessed on June 27, 2018.
[2] Baby Boomer Health Risks: How to Help the Aging Generation, 2017. The Benefits Guide website. https://thebenefitsguide.com/baby-boomer-health-risks-help-aging-generation/. Accessed on June 27, 2018.
[3] 14 Reasons Millennial Women May Never Make it to Retirement, 2017. Benefitspro.com. https://www.benefitspro.com/2017/06/26/14-reasons-millennial-women-may-never-make-it-to-r/?slreturn=20180528075012. Accessed on June 27, 2018.
[4] Taking Control of Our Health, 2012. Women’s Health Magazine Website. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19919086/michelle-obama-and-health-care/. Accessed on June 27, 2018.
[5] Michelle Obama’s United States Olympic Committee Address, 2016. Very Well Family Website. https://www.verywellfamily.com/michelle-obama-quotes-on-childhood-obesity-1257092. Accessed on June 30, 2018.