As World Populations Age, Is the New World Coping Better Than the Old World?

North America’s seniors appear to be taking a decidedly hands-on approach to wellness as they age, according to a global survey by market research company Ipsos-Reid. But this trend has not extended beyond North America into Europe.

North Americans aged 55 and older are more likely than Europeans in the same age group to be taking vitamins or other supplements, controlling their weight, and reading nutrition labels on food products. When it comes to exercise, however, older North Americans don’t overtake their European counterparts—until they reach the age of 65. North Americans aged 65+ are not only more physically active than their age-mates in Europe—they are also more likely to exercise than are North Americans aged 55 to 64.

“Older North Americans seem very committed to making this time of their lives the best that it can be—and they clearly know that maintaining their health is the right step in this direction”, said Kiley Turner, Ipsos-Reid’s Editorial Director. “These seniors are defying the notion that feeling young entails being young, which is a very exciting sociological movement.”

Other Ipsos global findings suggest that older North Americans may be benefiting psychologically from their active pursuit of health. A Global Express survey conducted in 2001 asked adults in various regions to predict whether they would be better off or worse off in ten years. Among the 55+ age bracket, North Americans were more than twice as likely to be optimistic as Eastern or Western Europeans were: 45% of North Americans aged 55+ said “better off”, compared to 19% of Eastern Europeans and only 10% of Western Europeans in this age bracket.

“While Americans have been chided about their obsession with youth, older Europeans’ more passive acceptance of aging doesn’t seem to make them upbeat about their prospects”, commented Turner. “In fact, you could argue that North Americans are redefining what it means to be ‘young.’ Their approach to aging may be less about denial of the process than a reinterpretation of its meaning—that the golden years really can be golden, especially if you make maintaining your health a priority.”

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