December 2003

Youngest Baby Boomers enter middle age;
More seek chiropractic

At the stroke of midnight, January 1, 2004, the youngest of the Baby Boomers begin marking their 40th birthdays and the official entrance to “middle age.” Their birthdays also mark an opportunity for doctors of chiropractic, because Baby Boomers – (born between 1946 and 1964) have, for the entirety of their lives, been fixated on health, vitality and youth.

According to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), a survey of Baby Boomers shows that this group of Americans is perhaps the first generation to not only expect, but also demand to live longer than the average life expectancy and to remain active until the end. The survey also revealed shifting attitudes toward the type of medical care Boomer’s would seek to help maintain their youthful vigor.

The Baby Boom generation has seen the most dramatic leaps in medical science and life expectancy of any other generation in history, with the average for men now at 74.1 years and for women, 79.5 years.

“No one wants to admit they are going to slow down as they age, but the Baby Boomers surveyed have unbridled optimism about life, with 50 percent planning to make it beyond age 80 without serious limitation on their activities,” said Dr. James Sliwa, medical director of the General Rehabilitation Program at RIC.

Adopting a healthy, active life style is the number one New Year’s resolution for most of the U.S. population. However, Baby Boomers, are no strangers to asking medical science to assist with managing the big and small challenges of growing up and growing old. They were the first generation to have braces in large numbers and to come of age with birth control pills.

More than 75 percent of them have turned to medical science to enhance the quality of their lives. Yet the survey indicates that many Boomers are choosing physical rehabilitation over other treatments including prescription medication, surgery, chiropractic and acupuncture, for “getting well.” Of the respondents, 84 percent would choose physical therapy in conjunction with another treatment to get well.

Source: Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, www.ric.org

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