What Should We Eat
It has become the unforgivable sin to dictate what others should eat.
A new study gives us reason to pause and think about that question. Baby Boomers live longer lives but have worse health. The study, similar to others before it, confirms the same thing. And it points to one unsurprising conclusion: the only variables are diet and exercise.
Yes, why do some fare better than others in the same demographic?
Eating Habits Matter
The majority eat the common diet of Europe and the US with predictable consequences: diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, and a host of other ailments.
Baby boomers live longer than their predecessors, but suffer from worse health than previous generations, so a new study shows.
Researchers at the University of Oxford and University College London are going through a “generational health drift.”
“Baby boomers have a higher rate of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, and a variety of other chronic health conditions compared to previous generations at the same age,” said Laura Gideon, lead author of the study.
Body-mass index was also examined. Researchers find that age-adjusted data show the same results across post-war cohorts except for those in southern Europe.
Levels of grip strength, used to measure overall muscle strength and disability risk, were found to decrease across the US and England but remained the same or increased in some other parts of Europe.
“Such regional differences likely reflect differences in the balance of nutritional improvements; and declines in physical activity,” the study said.
As populations age, declines in fertility, in strength and mobility are expected to occur. Thus Gideon emphasized the need for more prevention, to help people avoid developing those illnesses in the first place.
So the questions arises, what should we eat?
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