healthy lifestyle Archives - Page 11 of 54

The Generational Wealth Gap: Will Millennials Ever Catch Up?

Let’s get one thing straight: no members of any generation are blowing all of their money on things like avocado toast. That is the laughable claim that some in older generations have made about Millennials to explain why members of the younger generation haven’t been able to build wealth the way Baby Boomers (or even Gen Xers) have. And while it is true that Millennials, as a group, are struggling to keep up when it comes to saving, making it into a blame game is not helpful.

We tend to have a problem in this country with blaming individuals – or even whole groups – for their financial struggles But it would be more helpful for us to examine what’s actually going on, so we can get to the heart of the matter. So how much are Millennials falling behind, what’s driving the generational wealth gap, and is there any way for the younger generation to catch up?

Generational Wealth by the Numbers

money coing with an arrow beneath it pointing down — *Generational wealth has been going, especially for Millennials.*

So who are we talking about when we talk about the groups known as Millennials, Gen Xers, and Baby Boomers? The Federal Reserve defines Millennials as those who were born between 1981 and 1996 (turning ages 26 to 41 in 2022), Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980 (turning 42 to 57 in 2022), and Boomers are those born between 1946 and 1964 (turning ages 58 to 76 in 2020).

And while Boomers were the largest adult population in the U.S. for a long time, Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living adult generation, according to population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. As of July 1, 2019 (the latest date for which population estimates are available), Millennials numbered 72.1 million, and Boomers numbered 71.6 million. Generation X numbered 65.2 million and is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.

That means that, with around 56 million of them in the workforce, Millennials are the largest working population in this country. By comparison, there are 41 million boomers in the workforce. But despite there being so many of them, this generation holds just 4.6%, or $5.19 trillion, of US wealth, Bloomberg reported, citing recent Federal Reserve data. Boomers are 10 times wealthier than Millennials, holding 53.2%, or $59.96 trillion, of US wealth. That’s also twice the $28.5 trillion of US wealth that Gen X holds.

That’s a huge disparity, and it doesn’t stop there. Just check out these numbers:

In 2021, the average net worth in an American household aged 64-75 reached over $1.2m, while the average household under 35 had a net worth of just $76k.
The average 64-75-year-old American is 94% wealthier than the average 35-year-old.
Millennials are 24% behind Generation X in terms of wealth accumulated.
It was recently revealed that Mark Zuckerberg, who has an estimated net worth of $97 billion, single-handedly owns 2% of all Millennial wealth.
The value of the total real estate owned by Baby Boomers is worth $14.87 trillion. The real estate owned by Millennials is worth a quarter of that at $3.79 trillion.

Those numbers are pretty depressing for young people, but is the issue merely that they haven’t yet had enough time in the workforce to amass the wealth they need to make them more financially secure?

Do Millennials Just Need More Time?

Yes, this wealth gap is partially explained by the fact that boomers are older, so they’ve had more time to accumulate wealth, and that many Millennials haven’t yet reached their peak earning years, with some of the youngest still earning entry-level salaries. But, unfortunately, that can’t be the only issue at play: historical trends tell us that the wealth gap shouldn’t be this big.

Consider this:

A recent MagnifyMoney study found the wealth gap between generations in the US has nearly doubled in the past 20 years.
When Boomers were Millennials’ age in 1989, they held 21.3% of US wealth. That’s four times the 4.6% that millennials hold today.
In 1998, the American population under 40 years old held 13.1% of America’s total wealth. Today, those under 40 hold only 6% of the total wealth. This means that Millennials and Gen Xers own less than half of the wealth that older generations owned when they were the same age.
Also in 1998, the average household aged 20 to 35 had a net worth of $103,400, while households aged 52 to 70 had a net worth of $747,600, MagnifyMoney found, roughly seven times more than the younger households. That means the wealth gap between older households and younger households has nearly doubled in the past 20 years, climbing from seven to twelve times the net worth.
The average Baby Boomer had a wealth of $132,960 in their 30s, more than double the wealth of Millennials around the same age.
A report by think tank New America found that Millennials earn 20% less than Boomers did at their age.

It’s important to stop here and note that all of the numbers we’ve been talking about here relate to the “typical Millennial,” but there are some worrying disparities between different groups of Millennials. For example, the typical Millennial without a college degree has 19% less family wealth than what previous generations without a degree had when they were the same age. Compare that to Millennials who graduated from college, who have just 4% less wealth than their similarly educated equivalents in generations past had, and it looks like working class Millennials have a lot less upward mobility than they did in previous generations.

But even more disturbing is data on African American Millennials. The wealth disparity is shocking: the typical white Millennial family has about $88,000 in wealth, but the typical African American Millennial family has only about $5,000 in wealth. And while white millennials trail the wealth of previous generations of white Americans by only 5%, African American Millennials trail previous generations of African Americans by 52%.

These numbers are a lot to digest, and show that we’re not just talking about a few people being bad with money. So what’s really going on?

What’s Behind the Wealth Gap

The last point above that Millennials earn less than Boomers did at their age is obviously one piece of the puzzle, but there’s more going on. The numbers above are about net worth, which takes into account someone’s personal assets minus all their liabilities – in other words, debt plays a part in those numbers. And that’s a huge part of the problem: Millennials have more debt than any other age group. According to a report earlier this year by Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, 81% of households with people ages 18 to 34 have a collective debt of $2 trillion, including student-loan and credit card debt.

And that’s what seems to be dragging Millennials down: student-loan debt. College tuition has more than doubled since the 1980s, which has fueled a huge increase in student-loan debt. Now, the national student-loan debt total is more than $1.5 trillion, with the average student-loan debt per graduating student (as of 2018) who took out loans sitting at $29,800.

man grabbing the inside of his jeans pocket that is empty — *Prices aren’t just going up for tuition and houses, but wages have remained basically stagnant for decades.*

But Millennials are struggling in the asset department, too – specifically, when it comes to owning real estate. Housing costs have been steadily rising; in fact, according to Student Loan Hero, first-time homebuyers today will pay 39% more than first-time homebuyers did nearly 40 years ago, so many Millennials are unwilling or unable to buy a home and add to their assets.

Not only that, but inflation is skyrocketing, meaning prices aren’t just going up for tuition and houses – but wages have remained basically stagnant for decades. According to Pew Research, the “median usual weekly earnings rose from $232 in the first quarter of 1979 (when the data series began) to $879 in the second quarter of this year, which might sound like a lot. But in real, inflation-adjusted terms, the median has barely budged over that period: That $232 in 1979 had the same purchasing power as $840 in today’s dollars.”

As the final part of this perfect financial storm, Millennials were also entering the workforce at just the wrong time, on the tail end of the Great Recession of 2008. It hit millennials born in the 1980s especially hard, making it hard for them to save, gain assets, and stay out of debt. In fact, according to a report by the St. Louis Fed, Millennials’ wealth levels are 34% below where they would most likely have been if the financial crisis hadn’t occurred.

These are all worrying trends, and so far, experts aren’t quite sure what the future holds for Millennials. Fortunately, more recent numbers are starting to look a little better for Millennials, and there’s some talk of them playing at least a little bit of catch-up – but only certain groups of them – others are still struggling. We need programs that can help all Americans save money and get out of debt, such as student loan forgiveness, so don’t forget to call your Congress people if these are issues that are important to you!

For now, if you’re a member of this generation, know that, yes, there are certain things that have been stacked against you, and we know that you’re not blowing all your money on brunch!

Confirmation That Portion Sizes Are Supersizing Us

There are a few things that aren’t a secret to any of us living in the U.S. One: our obesity rate is high, and is only getting higher. Two: we tend to live by the motto “go big or go home,” and that includes how we dish out our food. A lot of us have suspected for a long time that these two things are related, although many people have been stuck on the idea that it’s our supposedly sedentary lifestyles that’s caused the skyrocketing obesity rate in our country. But now, a recent report has charted how increasing obesity rates and increasing portion sizes in this country have run parallel to each other, and many frankly aren’t all that surprised.

The Skyrocketing Obesity Rate

It’s been said before, the obesity rate in this country has been rising for a long time, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down, so it’s worth taking a good look at the numbers. According to the CDC, from 1999-2000 through 2017-2018, the percentage of people in the U.S. who were obese increased from 30.5% to 42.4%, and severe obesity increased from 4.7% to 9.2%. That means that obesity-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer are also on the rise, unfortunately.

And the pandemic certainly hasn’t helped. The newest data from the CDC shows 16 states now have obesity rates of 35% or higher, which is an increase of four states: Delaware, Iowa, Ohio and Texas. To put that into perspective, in 2011, not a single state had reached the threshold of 35% obesity, and now, among the 16 at that level, a handful are close to 40%. obesity rates infographic

And, as with other issues in our country, the obesity epidemic seems to be hitting minority communities particularly hard. There are big racial differences in the impact of obesity: A separate CDC survey from 2017-2018 showed:

Nearly half of all African Americans and 57% of African American women are obese.
In the Latino population, the rate is nearly 45%, while among Caucasian adults the rate is 42%.
Asian adults had the lowest rate at 17%.

Some studies also suggest that poverty and rates of obesity go hand-in-hand, as well.

Even if you knew we had a bit of a problem in this country, those numbers are pretty shocking. And while there are a lot of factors that go into this obesity epidemic, the portion sizes that we find acceptable and normal seem to be getting bigger at the same rate that our waistlines do.

Out-of-Proportion Portions

It’s been made clear that the rising obesity rate is a problem in this country, and that there are probably multiple factors contributing to it. We’ve also been told that eating right – and not overeating – is one of the keys to maintaining a healthy weight. But it’s not always made clear that we’re actually consuming much, much bigger portions of things than we should be – or that we used to be.

So no, it’s not your imagination: the sizes of the packaged and fast foods that are for sale have been getting bigger and bigger, despite the fact that recommended serving sizes for these types of not-so-healthy food is certainly not getting any bigger. In fact, according to a recent report published in the American Journal of Public Health (AJPH), the size of packaged foods and fast food items in America has increased between two and five times the previous normal serving sizes when originally introduced, and those increases run directly parallel to the rise in obesity in this country. Not only that, but many products have not changed their sizes since 2002 recommendations that recommended they do so, with packages still up to five times bigger than they were previously.

You might be thinking that food companies are simply bowing to consumer pressure to give value for money, but the problem here goes beyond our wallets. In fact, if anything, these supersized portions are costing our country a whole lot of money in healthcare and lost wages for those who become ill because of excess weight. As the AJPH study points out, “To consumers, large portions may appear as a bargain, but they contain more calories and encourage overeating.”

And yes, the food industry is required to tell you on packaging what a “serving size” actually is, but that doesn’t seem to help much when the amount of food being sold is so far beyond that serving size. According to Lisa Young, PhD, RDN, a lead researcher for the AJPH report, “Larger packaged portions lead to overeating because people pay little attention to the size of their portions, focusing instead on what they are eating. Research also shows that we eat more when presented with more food—even if we are not hungry and don’t like the food.”

Portions Matter

The processed and fast food industries definitely make it easy to overeat the things we really shouldn’t be overeating, but you might also be thinking: isn’t it really about moving our bodies more? And yes, exercise is incredibly important for our overall health and maintaining a healthy weight, but we’d like to add to the study above another, and far more surprising, study. According to Dr. Herman Pontzer, an evolutionary biologist, “Your brain is very, very, very good at matching how many calories you eat and how many calories you burn. The person who has a sedentary lifestyle and the person who has the active lifestyle will burn the same number of calories.”

He thinks that we are looking at our “body’s flexible metabolic engine,” which according to his research, constantly adjusts depending on what we eat and how much we move, in the wrong way, and that we cannot achieve the weight loss we want from exercise alone. According to him, the amount we consume just makes way more of an impact.

His theory comes from studying the Hadza people of Tanzania, hunter-gatherers who walk for miles every day looking for food, meaning they’re constantly in motion, and get more exercise in a day than most Americans do in a week. Pontzer and his colleagues were sure that would also mean that they burn a ton more calories than we do, but surprisingly, when the researchers measured how much energy the Hadza burned, it turned out to be the same amount as most of their more sedentary Western counterparts.

The takeaway? While there’s some disagreement about how little exercise matters to weight loss, most research does point to the fact that what you eat and how much of it is really, really important.

Portion Control

The authors of the AJPH study want to see things like price incentives for selling smaller portion sizes of ultra-processed foods, larger sizes discontinued, and even restrictions on marketing of large portions. But there are also ways that you can help yourself keep your portions sensible. Try:

Buying single-serve items – You’re not too likely to reach for multiple, single-serve bags of chips!

Make your own snack packs – If buying bigger packages is better for your budget, try making your own single-serve packs.

Use smaller plates and bowls – It sounds silly, but the size of your plates and bowls really does make a difference! The bigger they are, the smaller your portion looks to you, and vice versa.

Do some measuring – You don’t have to go crazy weighing all of your food, but it is useful to know how much a cup serving size actually is.

Add more fruits and veggies into your diet – You don’t need to worry too much about how many fruits and veggies you’re eating, and the fiber in them will fill you up. Having trouble finding or affording the fresh stuff? Frozen or even canned is just as good.

Take a beat – Before you snack, think. Studies show that thinking about your last meal and reviewing what you ate during the day (even keeping a food journal) helps you to consume fewer calories.

Drink more water – Studies have found that people who drink at least 2 glasses of water before meals can lose 30% more weight than those who don’t, so stay hydrated and keep yourself fuller!

Eat more protein – Getting enough protein in your diet can help to curb overeating. In fact, in one study, people who ate a low-protein diet reported feeling hungrier and ate 12% more calories throughout the day than those who consumed more of the muscle-building nutrient. This 12% could add up to an extra 2.2 pounds of weight gain per month, or more than 26 pounds a year.

Give yourself a hand – You can use a literal rule of thumb to remind yourself of portion sizes. A serving of fat should be about the size of your thumb, a true serving of rice or pasta is about the size of your fist, and lean meats should be about the size of your palm.

We’re living in a supersized world, and that can wreak havoc on our health and waistlines. But with a little bit of knowledge about portion sizes, eating the right foods in the right amounts, and getting the exercise we need, we can navigate it, and keep ourselves fit, healthy, and happy!

Is Social Media the Third Wheel in Our Relationships?

How long do you think you spend with your partner, on average, each day? How often do you really deeply engage with them? Now, look at your phone, how much time do you spend each day on social media? If you’re like the average person, you’re most likely spending around 2 hours and 25 minutes a day on social media. Admit it, that might actually be more time than you meaningfully spend with your partner.

Don’t worry: we’re not going to shame you, because that’s just the world we’re living in. But social media is not all bad for our romantic relationships. It can have a lot of negative effects, but it can also have a few positive ones; the difference is in how you use social media. So how does social media affect our romantic relationships, and is it time to reconnect with your partner?

Falling Out of Love with Social Media

We definitely have a love-hate relationship with social media. More than 70% of us have active accounts, and we spend more than two hours a day engaging with it on average. But we also spend plenty of time complaining about its negative impact on our lives, and how it sucks away our time.

Time spent on social media can even begin to negatively affect our dating life. Pew Research has looked into how partnered adults in this country feel about their significant others’ use of social media (specifically on their phones), and you probably won’t be surprised by the results. After all, who likes to take second place to an app? According to Pew’s findings:

51% of all partnered adults say their partner is often or sometimes distracted by their phone while they are trying to have a conversation with them. And 62% of 30- to 49-year-olds and 52% of 18-to-29-year-olds who are in a romantic relationship say their partner is at least sometimes distracted by their phone when they’re trying to talk to them.
40% of partnered adults say they are at least sometimes bothered by the amount of time their partner spends on their mobile device.

People are doing a lot of scrolling, so let’s get down to how social media is specifically affecting our relationships.

The Bad

What comes to mind when you think about social media and its effects on real-life relationships? Your first thoughts probably aren’t sunshine and rainbows – and there’s a reason for that. There are a lot of negative effects of social media on relationships that you definitely need to be aware (and wary) of. We already know that social media can exacerbate mental health issues, and can negatively affect body image (which can cause problems with intimacy), but it can also:

Take Time (and Attention) Away from Our Partners

We’ve all been there: you intend to spend just a minute checking something on social media, and before you know it, an hour or two has passed. That’s time you could have spent engaging with, or just being present for, your partner. This can ultimately begin to decrease your sense of satisfaction and connection in your relationship. In fact, a recent study has even determined that the negative effects of social media on relationships are distraction, irritation, and decreased quality time.

When one partner is engrossed in social media, they can often get irritated with their partner if they’re interrupted. They can also be so distracted that they might end up missing what Dr. John Gottman calls “bids for connection.” These “bids” can be something as small as reaching for a hand, or something as big as seeking emotional support. According to Gottman, in healthy relationships couples respond positively to one another’s bids about 86% of the time, but being distracted by social media can cause you to miss these bids.

Create Unrealistic Expectations

We’ve definitely all heard this one before, and we know that people often post unrealistic portraits of themselves and their relationships online. But even though we know this, it can be hard not to compare yourself and your relationship to these glossy images, and to begin to feel dissatisfied because your life doesn’t look like all the highlight reels you see on social media.

And not only that, but you might even begin to resent your partner for not posting about you the way your social media friends’ partners post about them. According to sex and behavioral therapist Chamin Ajjan, M.S., LCSW, A-CBT, “You may begin to feel jealous of how much someone posts about their partner and feel resentment toward your partner for not doing the same. The lifestyles you are scrolling through may change how satisfied you are in your relationship because they seem to be better than what you have.”

Cause Jealousy

2 people arguing — *Social media can cause jealousy in relationships, which causes fights between partners.*

Checking up on what your partner is up to online? Feeling a bit green at the sight of them liking and commenting on other people’s posts? There are studies that suggest social media use can create an endless (and damaging) cycle of suspicion and scrolling. As one study in CyberPsychology & Behavior puts it, increased social media use (especially Facebook use) can mean a vicious cycle, which “may be the result of a feedback loop whereby using Facebook exposes people to often ambiguous information about their partner that they may not otherwise have access to and…this new information incites further Facebook use.”

And another study in Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking puts it pretty bluntly: social media use (again, specifically Facebook) “was linked to relationship dissatisfaction, via jealous cognitions and surveillance behaviors. The results highlight the possibility of high levels of Facebook intrusion spilling over into romantic relationships, resulting in problems such as jealousy and dissatisfaction.”

So, in other words, spending time on social media sites like Facebook can make you jealous, which makes you want to find out more, which increases your time on social media…which can also be damaging to your relationship. Yikes.

Start Fights

Yes, spending more time on social media can mean more conflict in a relationship. In fact, a 2013 study found that, among couples who had been together for less than three years, spending more time on Facebook was linked with more “Facebook-related conflict” and more negative relationship outcomes. This could be because some couples actually disagree when it comes to what’s acceptable online behavior. For example, you might feel like your partner is oversharing, you might want them to block their exes, you might not like something that they posted, or you might even feel like they didn’t post something they should have – all of which can lead to hurt feelings.

The Good

All of the above is pretty rough stuff, but we don’t want to completely trash social media. After all, it is a big part of a lot of people’s lives these days, and it can’t be all bad, even when it comes to our dating lives, right? In fact, social media can be a positive part of our lives, because it can:

Bring you together – A ton of relationships literally start online these days. In fact, a 2017 survey found 39% of heterosexual couples reported meeting their partner online, compared to just 22% in 2009.
Keep you connected – Interacting over social media can be a fun, easy, and low-pressure way to keep connected to your partner throughout the day. Not only that, but studies show that younger people in long-distance relationships were better able to maintain their relationships with the help of social media.
Teach you about relationships – As with any information you seek out on social media, you need to be discerning, but there are relationship experts out there giving good advice on social media.
Make you feel good – Mutual sharing and public declarations of affection on social media can actually positively impact a relationship.

Help you hold onto your memories – Not many of us make scrapbooks or photo albums anymore; instead, many of us have profiles on social media to do that work for us. These profiles have the added component of being shared with others, so according to Ajjan, “social media can be an institutionalized way to express love publicly and invite community support, both of which enhance a couple’s ability to flourish.”

Is It Time for a Social Media Intervention?

So social media can actually have some positive effects on your relationship, but you still need to be careful. You could be headed toward some serious damage to your relationship if you’re:

Spending less quality time together (especially in the evenings)
Feeling disconnected from your partner
Learning more about their life from social media than from them directly
Constantly checking up on them online
Fighting about social media use, or what one or both of you are posting
Being secretive about what you’re doing online

If you’re worried about how social media is affecting your relationship, or that it could affect your relationship in the future, try:

Setting boundaries around social media time. For example, you can make dinner or bedtime no-screen times.
Planning quality time together at least weekly – no phones allowed!
Communicating, communicating, communicating! Be very clear about what you find acceptable (and desired) behavior on social media, listen to their views on the matter, and make sure you are both being completely honest about who you are interacting with.

Social media: can’t live with it, can’t live without it, right? Well, it’s not going anywhere, so if it’s something you and your partner are engaging with, you’re going to have to find ways to use it as a positive (or at least neutral) influence on your relationship. It’s definitely possible, you just need to be aware of the pitfalls, and the signs that it’s time to change your online ways!

Is There a Downside to Aging in Place?

Life is full of decisions to make, and the number of decisions we have to make does not decrease as we get older, nor do the decisions get less consequential. In fact, one of the biggest choices you’ll have to make is how to spend your old age: are you going to consider moving into an assisted living facility, will you have family to live with, or are you hoping to be able to “age in place,” or keep living in your own home for as long as possible?

While it’s not always possible to make this decision on your own, depending on your health, it is a decision that you should have as much of a say in as possible. And if you’re like the majority of seniors nowadays, your preference is probably to stay put, for multiple reasons. But is there a downside to aging in place? As with anything, there are certainly pros and cons, but one major con to consider is the toll that aging in place can take on your mental health if you live alone, which can lead to feeling socially isolated. So does this downside negate the positive aspects of aging in place, or are there ways to combat this social isolation?

The Desire to Age in Place

What is aging in place? According to the CDC, this means “the ability to live in one’s own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably, regardless of age, income, or ability level.” Sounds good, right? That’s probably why, as we mentioned above, if your goal is to age in place, you’re certainly not alone. In fact, a survey by the AARP has found that 77% of adults over 50 plan to stay in their homes for the long term, and that’s on the lowest end of the spectrum. Most surveys tend to show that 90% of older adults want to stay in their own homes as they age.

According to Martin Lenoir, chief marketing officer at American Advisors Group (AAG), which did a survey on how meaningful “the home” is to seniors, “For seniors, the comfort, safety and independence of their home outweigh the desire to move.” In fact, AAG found that:

Over 90% of seniors prefer to remain in their homes as opposed to moving into an assisted living facility
82% have no concrete plans to ever sell their home or move away

And why is this? According to this survey:

83% of respondents stated they feel safer at home compared to elsewhere
40% said their independence is the most important benefit of aging in place
More than 50% of seniors have an “emotional attachment” to their home because it reminds them of their family

Studies have also found that aging in place can promote life satisfaction, a positive quality of life, and self-esteem, all of which are needed to remain happy, healthy, and well into old age. But as mentioned above, there can be a dark side to staying at home.

The Dangers of Isolation

Aging in place can often mean living alone at some point; in fact, nearly one-third of all seniors live by themselves, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s close to 14 million seniors aging alone. And while living alone is not problematic for some older adults, it can lead to loneliness – generally around 40% of seniors report feeling lonely, with that number rising to well over 50% in 2020 during the pandemic – and even isolation-induced depression.

And it isn’t just the actual living alone that can be a problem for older adults, it’s the perception of loneliness and isolation (remember: loneliness doesn’t refer to being alone, rather it refers to feeling alone). As you age, it can be harder to get out to do the things you want to do, you might have lost a spouse who was your confidante, or family might be further away than you’d like them to be.

These feelings of social isolation and loneliness can actually put your health at risk. Recent studies have found that:

Social isolation significantly increased a person’s risk of premature death from all causes, a risk that may rival those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Social isolation was associated with about a 50% percent increased risk of dementia.
Poor social relationships (characterized by social isolation or loneliness) was associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.
Loneliness was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide.
Loneliness among heart failure patients was associated with a nearly 4 times increased risk of death, 68% increased risk of hospitalization, and 57% increased risk of emergency department visits.

Those are some very dire statistics, but they don’t mean that you should give up on the idea of aging in place. If you’re physically able to stay home, the sense of independence, and the connection to the memories in your family home, can make staying put totally worthwhile. And there are ways to combat loneliness, social isolation, and all of the negative consequences that can come with those psychological impacts of living alone.

How Older Adults Can Avoid Social Isolation

If you’re aging in place, and living alone (or even if your spouse is still living with you, and you need more socializing), there are ways to combat loneliness. For example:

2 older women sitting on a bench outside — *If you are feeling isolated, then reach out to family or friends.*

Reach out

This is something that you’ve heard before, but it’s worth saying again: the first step to combating loneliness is to reach out. Have friends stop over, keep up with your neighbors, and set up a weekly time for grandkids or other close contacts to stop by for a visit.

Consider a roommate

Sure, your college days are over, but there’s no reason why you can’t buddy up in your older age. In fact, seniors taking on roommates is a growing trend in the U.S., as more people are looking for help with the rent or mortgage, as well as companionship. And don’t worry, you don’t have to rely on placing an ad and hoping for the best: there are actually services that safely and effectively match up older adults with roommates.

Get some help around the house

If you need a helping hand, don’t hesitate to look into an in-home caregiver. They can provide practical assistance with things like meal prep, housekeeping, and transportation (so you can get out of the house more!), but they can also provide companionship, as well.

Give back

Now that you’ve got more time on your hands, and you’re looking to spend some time with others, it’s the perfect time to consider volunteering. Local libraries, museums, schools, animal shelters, gardens, etc all need help, so whatever your interests you should be able to find a way to get involved in your community and meet new people.

Share your interests

Whatever your hobbies, try to find others who share them – and don’t be shy about telling your loved ones about them. They’ll be interested to know what makes you happy, and might want to join in so you can spend time together.

Get moving

Joining an exercise class is a great way to get out and meet people, as well get healthier and give yourself a shot of all those mood-boosting endorphins, making working out a win-win-win situation!

Be a joiner

Look into your local senior center, which probably has classes and activities geared towards older adults. You can meet people with similar interests, and learn something new!

Know your transport options

If you’re still driving, great! But if that’s not something you’re as comfortable with now that you’re getting older, make sure you know your options. Public transport can really be your friend (and many cities offer free bus passes for seniors), but if you live somewhere without as many public options, set up an account with a ride-sharing app like Lyft, or look into local senior centers, which sometimes offer transport for older adults.

hands on a tablet screen — *If you cannot see your family or friends, then you consider seeing them through technology!*

Embrace technology

If you can’t see your family and friends in person as much as you’d like, remember that you can see them anytime you like with the help of modern technology! Get yourself a smartphone or tablet and install an app like WhatsApp, which has a super easy video calling function, and your loved ones will be literally in your pocket and right there at your fingertips! Sure, it’s not exactly the same as spending time in person, but if you’re not sure about it, consider this: studies show that older adults who use email, instant messaging or social media platforms like Facebook have about the same rate of depressive symptoms as those who do not use any communication technologies. But people who use video chat applications have almost half the estimated probability of depressive symptoms.

Find a balance

Remember, only you can determine what the “right” amount of socializing is for you. Your friends and family might be concerned about you spending time alone, and with the best of intentions, try to pack your social calendar. If that’s not what you need, let them know!

If you’re healthy and in the financial position to do so, aging in place can be a great option for keeping you feeling independent and in control as you age. You should absolutely be able to make this decision for yourself, but you also have to remember that avoiding social isolation needs to be near the top of your list of things to consider when thinking about what staying in your home as you age will look like. But with a good plan, some creativity, and a willingness to seek out opportunities, you’ll be able to ensure good mental health and continued social connections as you age in place.

Be Seen: Fighting the Invisible Woman Syndrome As You Age

It’s Women’s History Month! But for a moment, we want you to take a break from thinking about the collective history of women’s achievements and struggles, and think about your own history. The story of you. An older woman navigating the 2020s, who has experienced not only the changes of history, but the changes to herself that come with aging. How have these changes, well, changed you? Are you more confident in yourself, do you know what you want more than you did when you were younger, are you more ready to speak your mind? We hope so!

But we also know that there can be a darker side to aging when you’re a woman. Not because there’s anything inherently wrong with aging and with your body changing – it happens to everyone! But because of so many messages telling us that women need to stay forever young to stay relevant, or even worthy of being seen and heard. So the question is: despite all of the positive changes that the years have given you, do you sometimes (or even all of the time) feel invisible in a world that values youth so highly? Are you suffering from the invisible woman syndrome? If so, is there a way to feel more seen in a world that seems reluctant to open its eyes?

The Disappearing Act

silhouette of a woman with her face missing — *The older women get, the more it feels like they are unseen and looked over for jobs or other things in their life.*

We get it: everyone gets old, and we’ve just got to deal with it, right? Sure – but what no one signs up for is being made to feel unseen, overlooked, and patronized when they get older. And it seems like that’s just what’s happening to a lot of older women. While middle-aged or older men are often considered to be at the peak of their professional and personal lives, and viewed as accomplished and experienced, women of the same age can be seen as “past it,” especially since they’re often viewed through the lens of their physical appearance.

And we’re not saying that women over 50 don’t look good – that’s a completely subjective thing and hopefully you’re rocking your chosen look – we’re saying that our society is obsessed with youth, and has come to equate that quality with beauty for a woman. That can be a problem not only because it can make older women feel unattractive by default, but also because it reduces them to their physical self, and ignores all their other qualities, experiences, and accomplishments.

And then the disappearing act begins. And it’s not just all in your head: there are real world consequences to aging for a woman. For example, an older actor might no longer be offered roles after she turns 45 (did you know that women were cast as just 26% of characters aged 40 or older in 414 films and television shows aired in 2014 and 2015?). Or a woman can’t land a job interview after her 50th birthday, a 60-year-old woman is ignored in a shop or pushed past on the street, or a widow in her 70s is no longer invited to dinner parties without her husband around.

As the writer Ayelet Waldman once said in an interview after she turned 50, “I have a big personality, and I have a certain level of professional competence, and I’m used to being taken seriously professionally. And suddenly, it’s like I just vanished from the room. And I have to yell so much louder to be seen. … I just want to walk down the street and have someone notice that I exist.”

Feeling Overlooked

If you’re nodding along to all of this, or if you’ve noticed this phenomenon in the life of someone you love, you’re most certainly not alone. Just check out the results of this one survey conducted by the website Gransnet:

Seven out of 10 (70%) respondents believed that women become ‘invisible’ as they get older, but only a third (32%) thought the same applies to men.
Women reported feeling ‘invisible’ starting at the age of 52, while for men the average age was 64.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) felt that older women tend to be more invisible than men of the same age, putting the phenomenon down to society being obsessed with youth (62%), ageist (54%) and sexist (35%).
Nearly two-fifths (37%) said that younger people have patronized them as they have gotten older. And almost a quarter (23%) said that if they’re out with a younger person, people tend to talk to the younger person rather than to them.
More than half (54%) said they receive less random attention from the opposite sex. And nearly a fifth (18%) said that people had let doors slam in their faces.
43% said they have been passed over when waiting at a bar or restaurant, and 31% said they have been ignored in shops.

Pretty tough stuff, right? And unfortunately, no one can single-handedly change society. But can you change that feeling of invisibility, and feel like you’re actually being seen?

Living Out Loud

If you recognize yourself in the above, you know what we’re not going to tell you? To try to “age gracefully.” The solution to feeling invisible is not to go gently into that good night. And that doesn’t have anything to do with looks and how your body is aging – let’s put all that BS about older women needing to look a certain way or “compete” aside. You can color your hair if you want, or use all the wrinkle creams in the world, that’s your choice – and if it makes you feel good, do it!

The point is that you’re more than wrinkles, or a changing body. In fact, you’re more than someone with “empty-nest syndrome,” or a woman experiencing menopause. You’re someone with, as the writer Francine du Plessix Gray wrote, “presence, authority, and voice.” You just have to find it.

That might not feel easy, but it can be done, and it’s something we all need to do, to avoid withdrawing and ceasing to try (and again, we don’t mean with your looks). According to Alison Carper, a psychologist who practices in New York, “As humans, we all need to be recognized, but as we grow older, the manner of recognition we search for can change.” That means you need to look inside yourself, and make yourself the “subject” of your life, instead of an “object.”

According to Carper, “a subject is someone who is aware of how she can and does have an impact on others and how she is, ultimately, the author of her own life. She is aware of the responsibility this carries.” That’s a lot to take on board, we know. So where do you even start? Most experts agree it’s by taking control, and as the writer Emile Zola put it, “living out loud,” by doing the following:

Banishing the word “still” – Ok, not in every situation! But we have to stop picking out a few celebrities blessed with great genes and an even better plastic surgeon, and admiringly proclaiming that they “still” have it. Reconnect with your “it”: you never lost it.

Being where, and doing what, makes you feel like you – Again, you are you, no “still” about it. Go to music festivals if that’s your thing, or run races, or hang out at the nude beach. Paint, play video games, ride your bike, lift weights, write, go to karaoke – whatever you enjoy. Do things just for you.

Having a velvet-rope policy for who you let into your life – Surround yourself with people who make you feel seen, heard, and respected. There will still be people who treat you as less-than, but you get to decide how you react to them, and if that’s by speaking up, all the better. Two of the positive statistics from the Gransnet survey above were that 65% of the women said that they felt more confident, and 79% said that they care less about what people think about them now that they are older – don’t let that bravado go to waste!

Forgetting about being “age-appropriate” – Again, we’re not all that interested in talking too much about appearance here, but it is also true that how you present yourself outwardly can reflect how you feel inwardly. So dress how you like to dress, and in what makes you feel most like you (that day), whether it’s ripped jeans casual or full Iris Apfel.

While it can often feel like others are deciding your place in this world for you, especially as you age, that’s your decision. Don’t ever forget that. There’s no need to compete, compare, or apologize. Just be visible for who you are (and forget the people that refuse to see that).

Does Fast Food Put You on the Fast Track to Depression?

What’s your idea of comfort food? Freshly baked homemade cookies? Your mom’s gooey mac and cheese? Or maybe you prefer something a little bit, um, faster? As in, fast food? Do you crave things like hamburgers, fries, and chicken nuggets from a famous franchise when you need a little belly-based comfort? Well, if that’s the case, you might just want to start turning elsewhere for your comfort. In addition to the things we already know that fast food can do to our bodies, it might also have some surprising – and disturbing – effects on our brain and mood. Studies now seem to show that there is a link between anxiety and depression and the fast food that so many of us love.

Why It’s Hard to Quit the Fast Stuff

You might be thinking, “Hey, it just tastes good,” and that’s that. But it might not actually be that simple. There might be more scientific reasons why you’re craving fast food, and why you continue to eat it, even though it’s no secret that it’s bad for you.

First of all, yes, it does taste good. Otherwise why would an estimated 36.6% of the U.S. population devour drive-through deals on a daily basis? But it tastes good to many of us because food scientists have spent decades adjusting the flavors of ultra-processed foods so that we keep coming back for more. But studies also suggest that:

The trans fats in many fried foods might hinder your brain’s ability to discern how much you’ve eaten and how hungry you are.
Fast food can even trigger the pleasure centers of the brain to release dopamine, the same chemical that fuels addictions, so you might end up needing more and more fast food to feed your cravings.
Brain scans also reveal how sugar can be addictive: the more you eat, the more you’re likely to keep craving it. And what does sugar have to do with fast food? It’s not just that the soda that you drink to wash down your meal is loaded with sugar, it’s also that some of the dishes themselves have much more sugar than you might think. For example, one salad on the menu at a popular fast food chain packs a whopping 40 grams of sugar – and keep in mind that most public health organizations recommend that you consume no more than 24 grams of sugar per day.
In 2019, a landmark study found that those on an ultra-processed diet consumed 508 more calories on average compared to those who ate whole and plant-based foods, leading experts to speculate whether these foods are somehow addictive. Researchers don’t know exactly why, but processed foods seemed to encourage more snacking. “There may be something about the textural or sensory properties of the food that made the [participants in the study] eat more quickly,” said Kevin Hall, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. “If you’re eating very quickly, perhaps you’re not giving your gastrointestinal tract enough time to signal to your brain that you’re full. When this happens, you might easily overeat.”

All of that is definitely food for thought. You might think that heading to the drive-through for lunch or dinner is just a quick way to get some comfort food to fill you up, but turns out you’re not doing either: comforting yourself OR filling yourself up. And so you’ll just end up going back for more, and risk not only overeating and expanding your waistline, but also changing your mood for the worse.

Your Brain on Fast Food

So fast food messes with your brain in that it triggers cravings, but what does fast food, or any ultra-processed type of food, have to do with your mood and mental health? Let’s take a look at a few studies that suggest a disturbing link between them:

Research published in the journal Nutritional Neuroscience found that adults under 30 who ate fast food three times a week scored higher on levels of mental distress. The researchers think this is because fast food is typically high in saturated fats, trans fats, and omega-6 fatty acids. While some of these fats are beneficial and, in fact, necessary for brain function in smaller doses, an excess can trigger an inflammatory response. Past research has linked this inflammation to anxiety and depression.
Remember those crazy sweet salads? A study of around 8,000 adult participants found that men who regularly consumed around 67 grams per sugar per day were 23% more likely to be diagnosed with depression, which could, again, be caused in part by an inflammatory response.
A 2019 study of teenagers found that higher urine levels of sodium, and low potassium levels, both of which you’d expect from a diet of highly processed fast food, predicted more signs of depression a year and a half after the study, even after adjusting for variables such as blood pressure, weight, age and sex.
A meta-analysis of research from the United States, Spain, France, Australia, Greece and Iran published in the journal Nature also found a “robust association” between diet and depression. Their results showed people who avoided a highly processed diet, and instead followed a Mediterranean diet of things like fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and little red meat or processed foods, had reduced risk of depression.
A Spanish study published in the Public Health Nutrition journal found that consumers of fast food, compared to those who eat little or none, are 51% more likely to develop depression. Not only that, but they found that “the more fast food you consume, the greater the risk of depression,” according to Almudena Sánchez-Villegas, lead author of the study.
Studies have shown that excessive fast food consumption is also linked to anxiety symptoms, probably because the refined carbohydrates in many fast food items can cause your blood sugar to fluctuate. Extremely low blood sugar can cause panic attacks, insomnia, and other anxiety symptoms. Not only that, but the lack of omega-3 fatty acids in fried food can cause your brain to mimic anxiety symptoms.

More worrying food for thought. And while some researchers say they’re not really sure if eating fast food causes depression, or if those who are predisposed to depression are more likely to consume fast food (after all, we do call it comfort food, right?), it seems pretty clear that eating fast food can be a big problem for your body and mind.

Is There an Antidote?

whole cooked fish on a plate with lemons on it and olives next to it — *The Mediterranean diet is a great diet to follow because it is full of omega-3 fatty acids and other great vitamins.*

We don’t want to sound like your mom, but you know what we’re going to say. The solution is less junk food, and more healthy foods like fresh fruits and veggies. And that’s not just the mom in us talking: it’s science.

While scientists are still studying the link between diet and depression, studies do suggest that certain nutrients and foods can play a preventative role. B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, and folates, as well as the foods that make up healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet, like fish and olive oil, have been linked to a lower risk of developing depression.

And, the same study that found that adults under 30 suffered from mental distress after eating too much fast food had some interesting findings for older adults. It found that eating more fruits and veggies, as well as eating fewer carbohydrates of other types, actually reduced anxiety and depression. That’s because fruits and veggies are bursting with antioxidants, which help protect the brain.

Our days are filled with decisions we need to make, not least being what we should put into our bodies to fuel them. And that decision might have a little more weight than we sometimes give it: those quick trips to the drive-through could start adding up and wreaking havoc on your body and mind. We’re not saying that you should never indulge in your favorite comfort foods, but you just might want to re-evaluate how comforting your choice of indulgence actually is.

Tag: healthy lifestyle