Australian baby boomers' health poor

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ADELAIDE, Australia, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Researchers in Australia say, as a group, baby boomers -- born 1946-1964 -- have the highest levels of obesity of any age group in the country.

Professor Graeme Hugo, director of the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre at the University of Adelaide, was the chief investigator of an Australian Research Council project led by the University of Adelaide aimed at halting the obesity epidemic among Australian baby boomers.

The preliminary findings show baby boomer obesity rates more than double of their parents at the same age; they have twice the rate of asthma and hearing loss; triple the rate of diabetes and almost double the cholesterol levels of their parents age 53-62.

The proportion of baby boomers with three or more chronic conditions such as diabetes was 700 percent greater than the previous generation.

"Baby boomers are a tremendous social resource for Australia. Their contribution to volunteering in this country is significant and they have a lifetime of accumulated skill and experience to pass on, with 64 percent intending to work 16 hours or more per week in retirement," Hugo said in a statement. "However, if we are to harness this potential we need to stem the tide of obesity and improve their health while we can."