Young in mind, not in body

Employee Benefit News, July, 2007 by Leah Carlson Shepherd

Several new studies indicate that the health of baby boomers isn't as good as they'd like to think, which could prove a costly illusion for employers, especially as more older workers delay retirement for financial or personal reasons.

A majority (53.7%) of Americans age 50 to 64 declared themselves in "excellent" or "very good" health in 2005, down slightly from 54.3% in 2004, according to an AARP report called "The State of 50 America."

However, they might be fooling themselves. According to the National Institute on Aging, Americans in their early to mid-50s today report more pain and more trouble doing everyday physical tasks, such as walking, climbing steps, getting up from a chair and kneeling, than previous generations reported at the same age. In...

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