Survey: Boomer women aging better than men

ST. LOUIS, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- Thirty-nine percent of baby boomer men say their wives are aging better than expected, but fewer boomer women say the same about their men, a U.S. survey found.

The rate was 30 percent among women, the survey indicates.

Part of Energizer's year-round "Live Healthy. KEEP GOING" campaign to educate baby boomers about a healthy, active lifestyle, the survey also says 18 percent of baby boomer women responded their husband was aging worse than they expected. Eleven percent of men thought their wife was aging worse than expected, while 48 percent thought their spouse was aging as expected.

Seventy-three percent of baby boomers rate their health and the health of their spouse as excellent. However, the National Center for Health Statistics says half of Americans in the 55 to 64 age group have high blood pressure and two in five are obese.

When asked if they would change anything about their spouse's health habits, 48 percent say they wished their spouses would exercise more; 41 percent say lose weight; and 41 percent say eat healthier.

Sixty-eight percent of respondents report taking vitamins or nutritional supplements to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but 33 percent say they exercise regularly.

The survey was conducted online in November and December with a random sample of 1,051 married men and women, ages 44-62, selected to closely match U.S. population demographics. The margin of error was 3 percentage points.