According to a new Baby Boomers fact report from the United Health Foundation, our next generation of senior citizens will be a greater burden on the health care system than the generations before it. This isn’t due to sheer volume.
Though baby boomers are the largest generation to enter old age, they are also projected to be sicker and more costly to the health care system. This startling new baby boomers fact was addressed in the United Health Foundation report that can’t be ignored.
As the report compares the health of 50 to 64 year olds now to those of the same age group in 1999, it seems the tell tale symptoms of adrenal fatigue syndrome are plaguing an entire generation.
Overstimulated adrenal glands aren’t able to keep up with the body’s demand for cortisol. As stress becomes greater, the glands advance to a state incapable of appropriate function, and the ability to regulate our metabolic processes decline. A number of problematic symptoms occur, including sugar cravings and obesity at first, advancing to low blood pressure, fatigue, insomnia, and low libido aging progresses. These are all signs of adrenal fatigue.
The United Health Foundation report states that as baby boomers age, fifty-five percent more senior citizens will have diabetes than among senior citizens today. Health care costs for people with diabetes are also addressed in the study, and it reflects that costs are about two and a half times higher for those with diabetes than for those without.
Along with the explosion of diabetic cases, the United Health Foundation also projects that there will be twenty-five percent more seniors battling obesity. Given the excessive decline in favorable conditions, baby boomers fact finding reports are also anticipated to be nine percent less likely to say they have good or excellent overall health.
Aside from the personal issues negative health concerns create for its sufferers, the effects reach further than individual baby boomer lives. Though many would believe their health choices only affect them, the reality extends to the entire nation. When it comes to care for seniors and those in retirement, much of the cost is addressed by Medicare – which is paid for by taxpayers.
As our senior population balloons and the health of those that embody it declines, it’s an obvious time to look at the underlying causes of why such a seemingly successful generation’s health is deteriorating. The burden of their health is not merely on them, and it’s time to take a look at deeper issues that affect everyone’s lives.
Though the facts relating to baby boomers may seem like the result of poor exercise or diet choices, it’s not that simple. When we take a step away from the study’s findings and are able to look into other issues cropping up for this generation, we can explore a mind-body approach. Doing so quite clearly reflects rampant symptoms of adrenal fatigue hindering an entire generation.
Looking past the diabetes and obesity projections, we see other alarming facts where baby boomers are concerned. Donald A. Malone, Jr., MD, director of the Mood and Anxiety Clinic in the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Cleveland Clinic recently stated, “We know for certain that baby boomers have a higher prevalence rate of depression than the generation before them. The fact remains that we are not sure why—but much of the research is pointing to daily stress as a precipitator of their depression.”
When we combine the results of the United Health Foundation with the knowledge we have regarding baby boomers’ mental health and other symptoms, the pieces quickly add up to suggest a whole generation of adrenal fatigue sufferers.
As many faced with adversity state, the first step to overcoming is admitting you have a problem. Taking a look at the overwhelming numbers in cases of diabetes and obesity, as well as the widespread nature in depression sufferers within baby boomers, fact is that understanding adrenal fatigue and its effects could be key to healing an entire generation.
The symptoms of adrenal fatigue can be so subtle that traditional medical professionals may not identify or address accurate root causes until it’s too late. Adrenal fatigue can manifest in a number of ways, including anxiety, depression, and the inability to lose weight. Increased stress also triggers a body response that elevates blood sugar. Increased blood sugar is the precursor to type 2 diabetes.
It’s no surprise that the high-achieving baby boomer generation would see an increase in depression. Attempting to balance work, family, and finances can create elevated stress responses. Without the ability to appropriately manage stress, it eventually takes its toll on mental and physical health.
Our bodies are designed to keep us safe in every capacity possible. In the past our fight or flight response existed to keep us out of grave danger, but now, in our ever-increasingly stressful lives, our bodies are in a constant state of stress response. Though our lives may not be in danger, our bodies don’t know it. Our systems haven’t learned to differentiate between stress created by career pressures and stress created by a lion chasing us. This circumstance could be at the heart of these dramatic baby boomer study statistics.
In times of stress, our brains send messages to our adrenal glands. Our adrenal glands produce over fifty different hormones, but most importantly they secrete cortisol – the stress fighting hormone. When we’re continually under stress, our adrenal glands believe they must also secrete cortisol continually. When cortisol is present, our bodies continue to believe we need additional energy to combat danger and produces more blood sugar for that purpose. Though our bodies produce insulin to regulate blood sugar, our bodies are smart. They block blood sugar regulation in favor of having enough energy to save our lives. This response is okay when minor, infrequent stress enters our lives, but the reality is that in our overstimulated lives, most people are stressed too much of the time.
Most baby boomers have dealt with higher overall levels of stress their entire lives. Without effective stress management techniques or proper dietary guidance, they’ve unknowingly let their bodies live in fight or flight mode for decades.
It’s time for baby boomers to reshape the landscape of aging and tackle becoming healthier as readily as they’ve tackled everything else in their lives. By using their abundant resources and influence, baby boomers can adjust the facts, draw attention toward more mind-body whole life health practices, and point their peers toward impactful lifestyle changes. Focusing on the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response should help them find balance and handle stress better. The NEM stress response is how your body as a whole reacts and deals with stress. Learning to balance all aspects of the response system can alleviate many symptoms and put you back on the path to a healthy and long life. Start by identifying which pathways in your stress response system are weak and need help. Talk to an experienced clinician and formulate a plan to tackle these areas via diet, supplementation, exercise, and relaxation techniques.
The rise in adrenal fatigue among Baby Boomers is more than just a trend—it's a crucial health concern that needs addressing. Recognizing the red flags early on can help mitigate symptoms and improve overall well-being. If you're experiencing signs of adrenal fatigue or simply want to understand how to better manage your health, don't hesitate to take action now.
Ready to take the first step toward better health? Call us today at +1 (626) 571-1234 for a free initial consultation. Let’s explore how we can support you in regaining your vitality and achieving optimal wellness.
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