Forever Young - Body and Mind and Spirit

Community Comments

Forgiveness and patience are fine, but boomers want to be forgiving, patient and hot. And they’ll do whatever it takes to get there — even if it means going under the knife. More than 10 million elective cosmetic surgeries were performed in the United States in 2006, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That’s an increase of nearly 50 percent since 2000. Those cosmetic procedures include brow lift surgery, face lifts, liposuction, dermabrasion and eyelid surgery.

ENGAGING HORMONES

Another popular treatment is hormone therapy. Dr. A.J. Peters, runs a popular hormone therapy center in Gold River called the Longevity Medical Clinic. She plans to open another in the retirement community of Sun City in Lincoln Hills this fall. Peters says longevity medicine is a growing field and will expand. “This is just the tip of the iceberg,” Peters says. “There is a lot more to come.”

Peters says her clients range in age from 39 to 67, although she’s seen clients as old as 83. She offers bio-identical hormones, melatonin and thyroid treatments. Men often receive human growth hormone and testosterone. She says hormone treatments improve general functioning, as well as memory, fatigue and weight loss. They can also help lessen age spots, she says. “Most of my clients come well-informed. They’ve done their research. They want to advocate for their health. They want to be proactive and not wait for something to happen.” And the media is now offering boomers role models for sexy aging. There’s Suzanne Somers and her book “The Sexy Years,” and Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda modeling for L’Oreal.

But boomers want more than just six-pack abs and smooth skin in their 70s. They want to give back. In this way, they’re not all that different from past generations, but their sheer numbers and reputation for pushing things to the limit make them a force in this area. Psychologist Erik Erikson identified it as the “regenerativity” stage of adult development. Others call it leaving a legacy.

THE SOUL COMES KNOCKING

Constance Stevens, a Davis-based career consultant, says she counsels her clients about including volunteer work and spiritual activities into their retirement planning. She says retirement can be a period of embracing the spiritual side that some retirees have ignored during their working lives. “Giving back to the community could be giving back to the world or to your community of friends and family,” Stevens says.

Many nonprofit agencies already are seeing a surge of retiree volunteers. That will grow, experts say. Stevens says, “They’re answering old calls, things they never got a chance to do. My mother went to UCLA at age 60. Her best friend is a woman who’s younger than she is, and they’re pals now. Her life would be empty without her.”

Stevens, 54, says she is taking a Spanish class because she wants to do career planning pro bono in the Hispanic community. And one of her great joys in recent years was the bonding she had with her father as he was dying. “The best relationship I ever had with my dad was in the last years,” she says. “Who would have thought?”

• Share
  • Digg This
  • del.icio.us
  • Newsvine
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Furl It
  • !Y My Web
  • Google
• Email
• Print

Recommend This

Community Comments