It Gets Better

By Vickie Elmer, Washington Post

September 5, 2008 

It may be time to drop the stereotype of the older worker as unhealthy or slowing down.
 
Workers in their 50s and 60s are more likely to exercise and eat healthy foods than their younger colleagues, a new report by ComPsych indicates.
 
In an unscientific survey of more than 1,000 workers at companies that use ComPsych's wellness and employee-assistance programs, the firm found that people in their 50s and 60s said they choose healthy, balanced diets much more often than those in their 30s said they do. The older workers also were much more likely to say they exercise regularly.
 
In their self-assessments, the workers in their 30s admitted to skipping many of these healthy moves. 

"Workers in their 30s may be at peak productivity, but also at greatest risk for neglecting their health and developing long-term health problems due to poor lifestyle choices," Richard A. Chaifetz, ComPsych's chief executive, said in a statement. 

While their younger colleagues admitted to feeling stressed, about 8 in 10 of the workers in their 60s said they have a "very positive" outlook on life.

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