Some of the most celebrated news of the last century is the increase in longevity and wellness among today’s older adult population. Unfortunately, the good news may not continue for future generations, and the reality of this situation is scarily serious.

With the overwhelming abundance of health prevention information Americans have been subjected to over the last few decades, it’s hard to believe we’re at a place where the next generation of older adults may actually be heading toward a reality of having poorer health than previous generations at the same age.

“People I’m seeing are aging more quickly than the people I used to see,” said Dr. F. David Schneider, chair of family and community medicine at St Louis University.

Twenty-five years ago, a hobbled woman in her 50s would have seemed unusual. Not anymore apparently. Health care providers nationwide are reporting an increase in the number of patients under age 64 suffering from disabilities in the past decade. In an analysis of information from the 1997 to 2007 National Health Interview Study, it’s reported that more than 40 percent of people ages 50 to 64 have difficulty doing one of nine physical functions such as stooping, standing for two hours, walking a quarter mile or climbing 10 steps without resting.

Even more frightening is the reality researchers noted that the 40 percent figure was in contrast with the older group, age 65-plus, who reported a decrease in disabilities during the same period. Scary … older people healthier than younger people!

And more frightening still, we’re doing it to ourselves for the most part, by making poor lifestyle choices. In fact, health care providers list the biggest reasons for this situation as obesity, sedentary lifestyles and lack of preventive medical care.

On the subject of preventive medical care, unfortunately, most of us recognize we have more of a sick-care system in this country, than a health-care system. While we do a respectable job at diagnostics, it’s often after the fact. We must do a better job at educating people about the path they’re heading down – to avert the train wreck health crisis before it happens. And it’s more complex than just handing them a sheet of paper with instructions on how to eat and exercise.

“I don’t think people are taking time for themselves to be focused on health behaviors,” said Carolyn Baum, director of occupational therapy at Washington University.

While the increase in disability among middle-aged people mirrors the rise in obesity rates, experts stress that those of normal weight don’t have a free pass to sit and do nothing.

“One thing that creates disability is not using your body,” Schneider said. “People who exercise and move and do things physically are less apt to be disabled.”

Technology, he said, is a big culprit in promoting inactivity. People used to get up and walk down the hall to talk to co-workers. Now they send e-mail or instant messages while sitting.

Inactivity and poor nutrition lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which can lead to a host of problems that make moving about difficult. Even just an 11-pound weight loss, according to John Hopkins Arthritis Center, can decrease the risk of osteoarthritis of the knees by 50 percent.

So while we talk a lot about obesity, we often forget that even a 10 to 15-pound weight gain causes significant problems in the hips and knees – for which most of our mobility relies.

Without belittling the reality that the majority of Americans are overweight today, understanding the scary reality of the long-term effect this may have on our health could be the treat we all really need.

Happy Halloween!

Kelly Ferrin, gerontologist, longevity expert and author of “What’s Age Got To Do With It? Secrets to Aging in Extraordinary Ways” has been studying aging and retirement issues for over 25 years. She was one of the first to ever receive a degree in this field from the prestigious Andrus School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, the top school in the nation for the study of age-related issues.

website: kellyferrin.com ••• email: ageangel@earthlink.net