Are baby boomers booming too much? An epidemiological description of overweight and obese baby boomers

Objective: To provide a social, demographic, and health-related description of overweight and obese baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).

Method: Data were collected using a monthly chronic disease and risk factor surveillance system in which a representative random sample of South Australians are selected from the Electronic White Pages each month and interviewed using computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI).

Results: In 2006-2007, 65% of baby boomers in South Australia were overweight or obese, and 26% were obese. There were statistically significant increases in both categories between 2002 and 2007. In 2006-2007, the overweight or obese groups were significantly different on a wide range of social, demographic and health-related variables when compared to their non-overweight peers at the univariate level. In the multivariate analysis the obese group was more likely to have risk factors (high blood pressure, insufficient exercise) and chronic disease (diabetes, asthma, arthritis). They were also more likely to be in lower socio-economic areas, to be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin and have lower levels of education.

Conclusions: Addressing the high rates of overweight and obesity within the baby boomers generation should be a policy priority. As this generation moves towards old age the significant associations between body mass index and chronic disease and disability promise to increase demand upon an already pressurized health system.