The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

Baby boomers: How much are you spending on anti-aging remedies and procedures?

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

On Saturday, instead of a big banner headline on The Huffington Post screaming about political squabbles or the latest war report, baby boomers were featured.

The article, “Boomers Will Be Pumping Billions Into Anti-Aging Industry,” said spending on anti-aging products would rise from $80 billion to more than $114 in 2015.

Boomers, who want to be “forever young,” are expected to spend these funds on wrinkle creams, plastic surgery, supplements, hormone replacement therapy, workout regimes, and other remedies and procedures.

In the article, the National Institute on Aging advises boomers to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and don’t smoke rather than spend money on anti-aging products.

The pros and cons of supplements, hormone replacement therapy, plastic surgery, and wrinkle care were discussed.

I don’t think the cons of plastic surgery were emphasized enough. I’ve written about the possible side effects. They aren’t pretty. See “Why You Should Think Twice Before Having Plastic Surgery” for details. In addition, take a look at “How Bad Is Botox for You?”

The article did a better job on wrinkle creams. It quoted the Consumer Reports tests that show there is little, if any, benefit from using the creams. See my articles “Wrinkle Creams Widely Used, But Don’t Do Much Good” and “You Can’t Erase Wrinkles With Cream” for details.

What are you doing to combat aging? Botox? Workouts? Walks? A face-lift? Eating organic food? Are you spending a lot of money?

Let me know in the Comment section below.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Bravo Sports Disney-brand Pogo sticks due to fall and laceration hazards

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Bravo Sports is recalling about 159,000 Disney-brand Pogo sticks.

The bottom rubber tip attached to the pogo stick frame can wear out prematurely, posing a fall hazard to consumers, Bravo Sports and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a statement. Also, the end caps on the handlebars can come off, exposing sharp edges. This poses a laceration hazard to consumers.

Bravo Sports and the commission have received 82 reports of the bottom tip wearing out on the pogo sticks, including five reports of injuries. A 9-year-old girl suffered a skull fracture and chipped a tooth. Another 9-year-old girl cut her lip and chin, requiring stitches. Other injuries included scrapes, hits to the head, and teeth pushed in.

Consumers can visit the search page on SaferProducts.gov to view incident reports about Bravo’s recalled pogo sticks.

The recall includes pogo sticks in various colors. The models included in this recall are the Disney Hannah Montana Pogo Stick, the Disney/Pixar Toy Story Cruising Cool Pogo Stick, the Disney/Pixar Cars Pogo Stick, the Disney Princess Pogo Stick, and the Disney Fairies Cruising Cool Pogo Stick. The pogo sticks have Disney labels between the handlebars. The manufacturing date codes between 01/01/2009-022CO and 11/30/2010-022CO are on a clear label on the stem of the pogo stick near the foot pedals.

Manufactured in China, the pogo sticks were sold at Burlington Coat Factory, Kmart, Kohls.com, Target, and Toys R Us from February 2009 through June 2011 for about $20.

Consumers should immediately stop using the pogo sticks and contact Bravo Sports for a full refund, the company and commission advise.

 For additional information, contact Bravo Sports toll-free at 855-469-3429 between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT or visit the firm’s website at www.bravopogorecall.com.

For details on other recalls, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers: Worried about cancer and Alzheimer’s? Obesity may be a bigger problem

By Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Baby boomers are the most obese generation, and although their top two fears are cancer and Alzheimer’s disease, perhaps they should be more concerned about diabetes and heart attacks.

About a third of the baby boomers are obese, compared with about a quarter of both older and younger generations, according to an Associated Press-LifeGoesStrong.com poll. Only half of the obese boomers say they exercise regularly.

An additional 36 percent of boomers are overweight, but aren’t obese.

Despite the interest baby boomers have in healthy aging, those who are obese and those who aren’t need to do more to prevent health problems as they get older, according to The Washington Post article “Aging America: Baby Boomers Worry About Cancer, Memory Loss But Weight Is a Big Threat, Too,” which reported on the survey.

See the article for more information on the survey and what boomers need to do to improve their health.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Recall of the Week: Fitness resistance tubes and kits due to cuts and bruises

About 229,000 fitness resistance tubes and kits manufactured by Dalps & Leisure Products Supply Corp. and imported by Dick's Sporting Goods are being recalled.

The plastic clip that attaches the resistance tube to the handle can break during use causing the tubing, handle, or fragments of the plastic clip to hit the user. This can cause cuts and bruises
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Dick's Sporting Goods has received four reports of cuts, bruises, and wearing of the skin.

The recall involves Fitness Gear and Fitness After 40 branded resistance tubes and adjustable resistance tube kits. The resistance tubes are yellow, blue, red, orange, gray, or black and are attached to handles with a plastic clip.

"Fitness Gear" is printed in red on the handles of the Fitness Gear-branded products. The Fitness After 40-branded resistance tubes have blue handles with thin green and red stripes.

The recalled model numbers are: FAF00004, STA00017, STA00018, STA00019, STA00020, STA00021, STA00022, STA00023, STA00063, STA00064, and STA00066. The model number can be found on the bottom of the package.

Manufactured in China and sold at Dick's Sporting Goods stores and online at www.dickssportinggoods.com from October 2009 through November 2010 for between $15 and $60.

Consumers should stop using the resistance tubes immediately and return the product to Dick's Sporting Goods for a store credit for the amount equal to the purchase price, the company and U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advise consumers.

For additional information, contact Dick's Sporting Goods toll-free at 866-677-4771 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, e-mail Customer.Service@dcsg.com, or visit the company's website at www.dickssportinggoods.com.

Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 New Year’s resolutions for baby boomers in 2011

 

As the first baby boomers begin reaching 65 this year, much discussion is occurring about how boomers will be changing the face of retirement and aging.

What steps can baby boomer consumers take to make 2011 a great year for them?

The Baby Boomer Retirement Club recommends 10 areas boomer can be looking at now to have the high quality of life they want in their next stage of life:

1. Save for retirement by putting money in your 401(k) so you can take advantage of your employer matching funds, if they’re offered.

2. Examine new investment choices in your 401(k) plan to preserve asset value in the next few years.

3. Investigate ways to have continuing income after you retire from your primary career.

4. Get moving every day for 30 minutes in the exercise of your choice.

5. Take steps to help care for your aging parents and preserve your own mental health.

6. Make a will and a living will, if you haven’t done so already.

7. Build dreams together with your spouse or significant other.

8. Research and decide the best place(s) for you to live in the future and when.

9. Enjoy travel adventures while deciding where to live.

10. Examine spirituality as a way to strengthen your inner resources.

See "New Year’s Resolutions for Baby Boomers in 2011" for more information on these top 10 resolutions.

            Copyright 2011, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist 

Baby boomers struggle with caregiving roles

November is National Family Caregivers Month, recognizing the 65 million family caregivers who play a role in ensuring their elderly parents have quality care.

Among these caregivers are about 52 million baby boomers who assist their parents, either by caring for them in their home or managing their affairs.

While helping elderly parents is rewarding, it also has challenges.

Many baby boomers are making considerable sacrifices to care for aging parents, a Humana-commissioned study showed:

• 63 percent surveyed have devoted less time to hobbies and personal interests.

• 46 percent have given up social activities.

• 43 percent have skipped a vacation.

• 36 percent have dipped into personal savings.

Providing care is strenuous, both physically and emotionally. Caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can shorten a person’s life by four to eight years, a study published in the Journal of Immunology reports.

In addition, more than 40 percent of these caregivers report high levels of emotional stress, according to a 2007 report by the Alzheimer’s Association.

The number one step caregivers can take to protect their own health is to closely monitor their stress level, Kathy Johnson, PhD., told me in an e-mail. Johnson is chief executive officer of Home Care Assistance and co-authored the book “Happy to 102: The Best Kept Secrets to a Long and Happy Life”.

“High stress levels have been shown to lower resistance to disease, lead to fatigue, depression, and even ‘burnout,’ she said.

Strategies Johnson recommends to caregivers to protect their health, keep stress levels down, and avoid burnout are:

• Attend a support group to receive feedback and coping strategies.

• Vary the focus of caregiving responsibilities if possible. For example, rotate responsibilities with family members.

• Exercise daily and maintain a healthy diet.

• Establish "quiet time" for meditation.

• Stay involved in hobbies.

For more information on National Family Caregivers Month, see the website of the National Family Caregivers Association.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Attention TV watchers and bloggers: Get up and move around

Sometimes when I’m intent on blogging, I sit an hour or two or more without getting up. That’s not good for your health.

On the National Public Radio program Science Friday today, David Dunstan described research which showed that people who watch television for four or more hours a day have an 80 percent greater chance of dying from cardio vascular disease and a 46 percent greater chance of dying from any illness.

Dunstan is head of physical activity at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

It’s the sitting that’s the problem, he said on the program "Watching TV Could Shorten Your Life." People go from sitting at work to sitting in the car to sitting in front of the TV.

That’s why this research is important to bloggers. Sitting for hours before a computer screen is probably just as harmful, Dunstan said.

Health effects also were seen in people who exercised regularly but had high levels of TV viewing.

The researchers followed more than 8,000 Australian adults for six years. Their findings were published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Dunstan and his colleagues are conducting further research on how often it’s important to contract the body’s muscles. Moving around for two minutes every 20 minutes is one idea.

Copyright 2010, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Injuries up substantially among boomers exercising excessively

Many baby boomers stay fit through rigorous exercise that can strain, injure, and wear out their bodies.

Exercise-related ailments such as sore shoulders, inflamed tendons, and arthritic knees often are the result.

"Baby boomers are the first generation in droves trying to stay active in an aging frame," said Nicholas DiNubile, M.D., 57, in the article "Boomers: Gen Xcessive – Staying Active Can Be a Painful Fountain of Youth" on Philly.com. The Havertown orthopedic surgeon is credited with first using the term "boomeritis" to describe the growing number of middle-age patients with exercise-related ailments.

For its article, the Philadelphia Inquirer asked the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to analyze boomer exercise-related injuries through its National Electronic Injury Surveillance System data.

The commission estimated that in 2008, emergency rooms treated 282,476 injuries among baby boomers – ages 44 to 62 – who suffered sports- and exercise-related injuries – a 47 percent increase from a decade earlier.

An example is bicycling. The Centers for Disease Control reported in 2002 that more than a fifth of the men 45 and older with sports- and recreation-related injuries treated in the ER had a biking accident – nearly the same as the portion of boys 5 to 9 – 23 percent – and much more than the 16 percent for 10-to-14-year-olds.

Overuse is one of the main causes of boomeritis. At the same time, the benefits of exercise come from pushing limits.

"It's a fine line," Cathe Friedrich, 45, co-owner of Four Seasons Health Club in Glassboro and an exercise instructor, said in the article. Friedrich has had surgery on an inflamed knee. "As we get older, that fine line gets finer."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What are the top 10 things that bring you joy?

 

In my last post, I wrote about “What Are the Top 10 Things That Irritate You?"

So today’s post focuses on the positive. What is it in life that brings joy?

Here are the top 10 things, in no special order, that bring me joy:

• Visiting and playing with my grandchildren.

• Reading novels.

• Writing and research to support it.

• Participating in citizen action projects.

• Resolving consumer complaints successfully.

• Helping people be informed, effective consumers.

• Walking in my neighborhood, in the forest, or on the beach.

• Being part of a spiritual community.

• Experiencing my candidate winning a political campaign.

• Seeing my family and friends be successful and happy.

What brings you great joy as a boomer consumer? Please click on “Comments” below and give me your top 10 list of joyous experiences.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide Recall of the Week: Inflatable baby floats

Baby & Me Combo

About 4 million inflatable baby floats manufactured in China by Aqua-Leisure Industries, of Avon, Mass., are being recalled.

The leg straps in the seat of the float can tear, causing children to unexpectedly fall into or under the water, posing a risk of drowning, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Thirty-one reports of float seats tearing, causing children to fall into or under the water, have been received. No injuries have been reported.

The recalled inflatable baby floats were sold in a variety of styles and colors. The names and model numbers are located on the packaging.

A date between 08/02 and 07/08 is molded on the valves of recalled products. Products not included in the recall can be identified with the lettering “NP” molded on the valve.

 
Deluxe Baby Boat

The following names are included in this recall:

• Baby & Me Combo

• Deluxe Baby Boat

• Deluxe Toddler Racer

• Cozy Crab Sunshade Float/Crabby Baby Boat

• Ticklish Turtle Sunshade Float/Baby Boat

• Toddler Race Boat

• Aquarium Baby Float

• Baby Adjustable Sunshade Boat; Adjustable Canopy Sunshade Float; Child’s Baby Boat w/ Canopy

• Sunshade Wave Rider Float; Child’s Wave Rider

• Sunshade Buggy; Sunshade Water Buggy (Girl/Boy)

• Kiddie Cabin Cruiser

• Sing-Along Wave Rider

• Quacker Float

• Squirtin' Tootin' Tugboat

See this link for the model numbers.

Three of the styles in the recall are shown in this post. See the link for other styles being recalled.

Deluxe Toddler Racer

The baby floats were sold at juvenile product and mass merchandise retailers nationwide, including Target, Toys “R” Us, Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Kmart, Walgreens, Ace Hardware, and Bed, Bath & Beyond from December 2002 through June 2009 for between $8 and $15.

Consumers should immediately stop using these recalled inflatable baby floats and contact Aqua-Leisure for a full refund, the commission advises.

For additional information, contact Aqua-Leisure at 866-807-3998 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at www.aqualeisure.com.

For more information on recalled products, see www.recalls.gov.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist