Are baby boomers conceding to age? - Generations - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), August, 2002

Baby boomers are donning things they swore they absolutely would never wear, according to the 2002 Varilux Boomer Watch survey. Although they said they would never be seen dead in them, 52% are wearing bifocals and other items from the past, including jogging suits (19%), overalls (13%), and "granny glasses" (11%).

Boomers are reaching for their bifocals because of the onset of an age-related eye deterioration condition called presbyopia, which everybody gets eventually, but, according to Varilux, most boomers (70%) don't know anything about. Many image-conscious boomers are in their 40s and 50s and beginning to experience the first signs of this harbinger of middle age. However, they may be relieved to learn that, like wrinkles, gray hair, and other signs of aging, presbyopia is treatable and doesn't have to mean the sacrifice of personal style.

Baby boomers are America's most-influential generation and have seen everything from Vietnam and Woodstock to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of Starbucks. Now, they may bear witness to another landmark movement, as gravity and age-related health conditions take hold and aging boomers begin to resemble their parents--if only physically. If history is any indication, boomers--with unprecedented access to technologically advanced solutions to the various signs of aging--won't just stand by and let aging take hold on their appearance.

Forty-six percent surveyed said they would consider having laser eye surgery. Many people believe that any eye condition can be cured with the aid of surgery, but, despite many advances in medical science, presbyopia is still unavoidable and incurable. "Whether or not you've had eye surgery in the past, ultimately, the gradual effects of presbyopia will set in and you will need corrective eyewear by your mid 40s," indicates optometrist Rodney Tahran.

In the past, presbyopia meant having to wear bifocals or carry around the kind of reading glasses that perch on the end of your nose. For today's presbyopes, progressive lenses are the most technologically advanced solution available, allowing them to see clearly at all distances and wear stylish frames that won't get in the way of active, image-conscious boomers' lifestyles, or their look.

"It all starts with having to hold the menu or newspaper at arm's length in order to read the print, and the next thing you know, you're in the drugstore trying on the `granny glasses' you once swore you'd never wear," notes image consultant Diane Irons. "... Having a way to correct presbyopia in style is important not only for me, but for all baby boomers who want to look and feel great.... Progressive lenses are a wonderful way to do that, without the conspicuous bifocal line or the annoying `jumps' in vision found in other treatment options."

Reduced vision is one of the top three health concerns and one of the first signs of aging for baby boomers, according to the survey, following heart disease and aging. It also found that 86% feel it is harder than ever to feel good about their appearance, but were not likely to consider surgical procedures like facelifts, liposuction, implants, and tummy tucks.