Aging Americans, known as baby boomers, say cancer is their biggest health fear, the Canadian Press reports.
According to a new Associated Press poll, nearly half of boomers surveyed said they worry most about cancer, which becomes more common with aging.
"It's the unknown nature, that it can come up without warning," Harry Forsha, 64, of Clearwater, Fla., and Mill Spring, N.C., told the Canadian Press.
But for many boomers, obesity, along with its increased risk of diabetes and heart disease, should also be cause for concern. According to the new poll, aging Americans are more obese than other generations. Most baby boomers say they get some aerobic exercise at least once a week, but most adults should be getting 2 1/2 hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Boomers can achieve this by doing things such as taking a brisk walk or a dance class, or even pushing a lawn mower.
But only a quarter of boomers polled report working up a sweat four or five times a week. And 37 percent say they never do any of the strength training that helps fight muscle loss associated with aging.
The good news is, walking is aging American’s most frequent form of exercise. And if boomers get in enough walking, the benefits can add up.
"I have more energy, and my knees don't hurt anymore," Maggie Sanders, 61, of Abbeville, S.C., told the Canadian Press. Sanders shed 15 pounds by walking almost 6 1/2 kilometers three times a week over the past few months and by making healthier food choices.
Meanwhile, the nation has been preparing for a rise in Medicare costs as the 77 million baby boomers begin turning 65. Obesity, with its risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis, will further fuel those costs.
"They're going to be expensive if they don't get their act together," Jeff Levi of the non-profit Trust for America's Health, told the Canadian Press. Levi points to a study that found Medicare pays 34 percent more on an obese senior than one who's at a healthy weight.
And even though heart disease is the nation's No. 1 killer, it's third in line on boomers' list of concerns. For many seniors, memory loss is a much bigger concern. More than half of the boomers polled say they do mental exercises on a regular basis.
Barry Harding, 61, of Glen Burnie, Md., told the Canadian Press, "On a scale of one to 10, seven or eight." "It's more talked about now, Alzheimer's and dementia."
So how do seniors combat obesity and heart disease? Experts say physical activity, not just a change in diet, is needed to help shed pounds. And experts agree that the earlier you begin increasing your physical activity, the better.
Jack Rejeski, specialist in exercise and aging at Wake Forest University, told the Canadian Press, "I don't think there's any question the earlier you get started, the better." "If you allow your mobility to decline, you pay for it in terms of the quality of your own life."
Sanders added, "When you're younger, you just don't see how important it is." "I just know that my lifestyle had to change," she said.
