
Great news for boomers (and everyone who loves one)!
According to the latest research from Robert N. Butler, Columbia Aging Center at the Mailman School of Public Health, Baby Boomers are aging significantly slower than previous generations. Evidence indicates that they are in better mental and physical condition, too. This has led experts to suggest that "70 may be the new 60."
The findings are published in the journal Nature Ageing.
Although growing older can seem like a gradual decline toward frailty and illness, research suggests that this process is slowing down. A study involving over 14,000 participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing found that older adults today are functioning better both physically and mentally than previous generations did at the same age.
The author of the study, Dr. John Beard from Columbia University in New York, said that these improvements were "large." For instance, a 68-year-old born in 1950 has a similar capacity to a 62-year-old born ten years earlier. Similarly, those born in 1940 function better than those born in 1930 or 1920.
He went on to ponder, "If we had compared someone born in 1950 with someone born in 1920, we would have likely observed even greater improvements." He concluded by saying, "Overall, the trends were very strong and suggest that, for many people, 70 really may be the new 60."
Research on aging typically focuses on whether individuals are facing diseases; however, researchers aimed to assess overall functioning as well. This study examined various metrics to evaluate aging and health, including walking speed, grip strength, hearing, vision, memory, blood sugar levels, and sleep quality. Mental health was also addressed through questions about feelings of loneliness and happiness.
When researchers combined all measures into an overall score, they found a steady improvement in function and health throughout the 20th century, likely due to advancements in education, nutrition, and sanitation. Medical innovations like joint replacements, antibiotics, statins, the smoking ban, and cancer treatments have also contributed to longer, healthier lives.
"We were surprised by just how large these improvements were, particularly when comparing people born after the Second World War with earlier-born groups," said Dr Beard. "But there is nothing to say we will continue to see the same improvements moving forward, and changes such as the increasing prevalence of obesity may even see these trends reverse."
"It is also likely that more advantaged groups will have experienced greater gains than others," he remarked.
Dieticians have long argued that wartime rationing provided the healthiest diet ever in the UK, encouraging the population to consume more eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables, and fish.
Child height increased in most regions in England and Wales during the war, too, while life expectancy increased dramatically after 1946.
As an interesting sidenote -- Sugar was rationed in Britain from 1940 to 1953 due to wartime import and production declines, with sweets being rationed from 1942.
In October, a study revealed that babies conceived during sugar rationing in World War II were better protected against chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Aging expert Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois, who was not part of the study, commended it by stating, “This is a powerful article. It shows that intrinsic capacity—what really matters to people as they age—is inherently modifiable. With this evidence, we see that medical science can enhance intrinsic capacity, providing a hopeful message for the future.”
Hopeful indeed. Now, get out there, Boomers, and go do some more living. You've got a lot more to do, see, and accomplish in this life!
Sources:
https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/news/study-finds-slowing-age-related-declines-older-adults
https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-024-00741-w
https://www.elsa-project.ac.uk/
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/9728#1
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6608959/
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn5421