Mature Market Experts: more news and stats you can use on boomers, seniors and the mature market  – Adjust Your Diet to Your Slowing Metabolism. Sad but true, your metabolism slows down as you age (I know, I’m experiencing it myself). Doctors say there  are five easy tips to help boomers combat the midlife bulge. One, realize that as you age your metabolism slows about five percent every ten years, as a result you will need to decrease your caloric intake accordingly. Two, be sure to include plenty of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables in your diet to shore up your immune system and sharpen your brain. Next, indulge in low fat, low sugar foods that will help to keep your blood sugar low and your brain power high. There are many healthy alternative foods, such as almond butter and whole grain bread. Four, foods that are high in vitamin D and calcium are essential to your diet in order to strengthen your bones. You can easily be tested for vitamin D with a blood test, and women should request a non-invasive bone density test after the age of 65. Last but not least, be sure to drink plenty of water for its moisturizing and cleansing benefits. Decaffeinated green tea is another excellent choice for its metabolism enhancing antioxidants. To read more click here.

Of course, there is nothing earth-shattering here, it’s stuff we already know. So my question is who will be the first to package food in a meaningful way? Remember, Cycle Dog Food for the five stages of a dog’s life? I believe if we take the emphasis off of “weight-loss” and put it on healthy aging, food companies could attract people who aren’t interested in dieting. The mass market is ready for marketing that touts, “Healthy choices for YOU!” The vitamin and supplement industry is already taking this tack … when will General Foods?

According to a recent MSNBC article, “Labels on most fresh meats, along with some fruits, vegetables and other foods, will now list where the food originated. In the case of meats, some labels will list where the animal was born, raised and slaughtered.”

To see a corresponding news video, click here.

Look for descriptive labeling and marketing to become more and more important (and more of an art form).

The number of health conditions Boomers are managing may be contributing to their overall less-than-healthy status. The top conditions they are currently managing are the need to lose weight (40 percent), high blood pressure (35 percent), joint pain (30 percent) and high cholesterol (29 percent). As high blood pressure and obesity are both serious risk factors for heart disease and stroke—the number one and number three causes of death in the United States, respectively—Boomers appear to be headed towards early “retirement”.

While Boomers’ futures may seem bleaker than anticipated regarding their health, they do make the connection between a healthy lifestyle and an extended lifespan, with over half (57 percent) connecting a healthy lifestyle to the desire to live longer (Figure 2).

Interestingly, half of Boomers were driven to a healthier lifestyle to look better. Playing on this vanity issue may be one way to increase compliance to a healthier mindset, as evidenced by the significant growth of the cosmeceutical industry.

While their understanding is on target, Boomers may require increased assistance in making healthy living an actual lifestyle change. Half are thinking about a healthy lifestyle to lose weight, yet Boomers face many challenges regarding their weight and proper nutrition.

Weight a Minute…

Fewer than one out of five Boomers are very satisfied with their ability to maintain proper weight, and only 1 in 10 is very satisfied with being in shape. Even more concerning is the fact that less than 18 percent are very satisfied with their ability to eat a healthy and nutritious diet (Figure 1).

It’s no wonder their satisfaction is so low, with a third of Boomers confused about what to eat when it comes to eating healthy, and two-thirds feeling a healthy lifestyle is more difficult as they get older. Many industries— including the media—may unknowingly be at fault for this confusion. As the amount of information available regarding health, nutrition and well-being is being disseminated at such a high rate, it becomes difficult for anybody to assimilate it into their lifestyle. In addition to the sheer volume of content, many times the message is conflicting (e.g., vitamin E is either good or bad), creating further confusion and dissonance between behaviors and attitudes, which is especially true of the diet industry.”

Source: Natural Products Insider

Because of the overwhelming amount of information available, I believe boomers and the mature market will increasingly look for “health sherpas” to guide them down the path of good health. Fitness trainers and health care systems that recognize this opportunity will capitalize big time (ie. ICAA, The Cooper Institute , Mather Lifeways and Erickson).