Older Adults Are Fatter Than Ever, Increasing Their Risk Of Illness

NPR reports:

Older people are working more, voting more and drinking and smoking less than they used to. That's the good news.

But nearly three-quarters of older men and about two-thirds of women over age 64 are overweight or obese, making them more likely to have to deal with diabetes, arthritis and impaired mobility.

This snapshot of the new reality of aging comes in a from the U.S. Census Bureau that was released Monday by the National Institute on Aging.

The biggest bad news: Chronic diseases among older Americans are on the rise, and because of demographic changes there may be fewer people to care for the growing population of older adults.

The 65+ population is now over 40 million and is expected to more than double by 2050. In earlier reports, the Census Bureau estimated that 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 years old or older by 2030. That's one more big social shift caused by the baby boomer generation.

No word yet on whether Harry Reid will blame the Koch brothers for this problem.