My Well-Being

Baby Boomers (those of us from 48-66) get a bad rap for a lot of things. We're called the "me generation;" some blame us for the collapse of the economy; certainly younger generations believe we are speed bumps on their road to better paying jobs. I believe we will be remembered for better things, and one of those is our commitment to a healthy future for generations to come.

 

For most of us, our first big encounter with the health care system is when our parents have an "event." Our research shows this is the beginning of our awareness that we are mortals and that we want to age "better" than our parents. In spite of our best intentions though, research also indicates that the senior population is much better at keeping their commitments to healthy food choices and exercise than we are.

 

So it seems that our healthy intentions battle with our time stressed lifestyles. We are working, building companies, raising children, having grandchildren, emptynesting, caring for loved ones, finding new jobs, going to school and a myriad of other things our parents didn't have to deal with late in life. Yet we want good health and to avoid chronic conditions. So we make choices!

 

Increasingly we are holding our lives up to our adult children as a cautionary tale of too much work, poor dietary habits and not enough family time. As we become grandparents, we see it so much more clearly than we did with our own children. And the day-to-day stresses seem to melt away as we focus on these new little people in our lives.

 

In this economic climate grandparents are emerging as the support system for young families – in much the same way they were in the 1930's to 1950's – providing financial aid and a family support system. Plus, our "do as I say, not as I do" generation is quickly taking on causes meant to create better future for younger generations, like childhood obesity, sustainable lifestyles, and quality education. I think that makes us the "We generation!"