People that are middle age should be looking forward to a trend of increased lifespans. However, they are instead living longer lives, with worse health, because of an increase in chronic disease and disability. And this occurs, regardless of a decrease in smoking and lung disease.
What an unfortunate and actually unpredicted situation - we are living longer, but we are less healthy. So, what are some of the reasons for this, and what are some of the things that can be done to keep this from happening to you?
The increased age with worse health dichotomy, has been studied through a large national survey - here are some of the findings, when comparing the current middle age generation, with the previous generation:
- A decline in reported middle age 'good' health, from 32 percent to only 13 percent currently
- 39 percent of the current generation are obese, compared to 29 percent previously
- 16 percent of the current generation has diabetes, compared to 12 percent previously
- There are also reported increases in bad cholesterol and blood pressure levels
When you see that there has been almost a 150 percent increase in obesity in the current generation, it becomes very logical that they would have worse health and more chronic diseases. Large advances in drugs and the medical field, explains how aging people can still live longer, they just do so with a decrease in the quality of their lives.
Obesity explains and infers so much - if you are that overweight, then:
- You are continuously increasing the inflammation in your body, which will affect the 'workings' of your immune system, along with being a predecessor for many serious and even fatal diseases.
- You are continuously increasing the amount of body fat that you are storing, which is actually more dangerous than a high weight alone.
- You are almost assuredly doing no exercise, spending way too many hours sitting, and are very physically unfit.
Is it any wonder that, even if you are living more years, you are doing so with many chronic health problems?
Middle Age Fitness And Health Transition
Been there-done that - October, 2008 was my major wake-up call.
I was 56 at the time, and living a successful business and family life. But I was also living a very poor nutritional and physical fitness life.
Early in the morning, my heart started racing and wouldn't stop; my wife ended up calling 911. By the time the ambulance got to our house, my heart rate was in the low 200s, and I had an elephant sitting on my chest.
I got to the emergency room, and they had to put my under for cardioversion - and then I got to meet my new cardiologist:
- I was lucky and had atrial fibrillation, instead of a heart attack
- I was clinically obese - I was 55 pounds overweight
- I had 2 arteries that were around 35 percent blocked
- I was so weak and out of shape that they had to do a chemical stress test, because I couldn't even walk on a treadmill
And then my wife's question - WHAT was I going to do about this?
Let me fast forward to 2013 to answer this question:
- I weigh 175 with around a 13.5-14 percent body weight percentage - compare to 228 and 20+ percent, when I got sick
- I have eliminated all processed foods and trans-fats - no more bread, unhealthy desserts, fried foods, and fatty meats
- I am physically fit, working out most every day - my exercise includes resistance and interval training that is intended to increase my metabolism, and be effective for burning fat -vs- long and slow treadmill walks
I may have no idea how many more years I have to live, but I do know that I am doing everything that I can to make them as healthy as possible.
I have completely turned around my nutritional health and fitness, by making a complete middle age lifestyle change.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barry_Lutz
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