Survey collects opinions
on healthiest generation
Kids these days — they’re just not as healthy as we are, or our parents were.
That’s generally the sentiment of 1,800 people surveyed this spring by Harris Interactive for a study commissioned by Aetna.
The study asked people age 25 to 64 which generation is the healthiest. Forty-five percent said their own generation has that distinction, 32 percent said it was their parents’ generation, and 23 percent said it was a younger generation.
In the baby boomers category, the study included only those who have not yet reached the Medicare eligibility age of 65: those 49 to 64 years old. Gen X was defined in the study as people 37 to 48, and Millennials were defined as people 25 to 36.
Twice as many boomers than either Generation X or Millennials defined “being healthy” as getting recommended medical screenings and checkups.
Asked if being healthy means good eating habits, the following agreed: 24 percent of Millennials, 14 percent of Generation X, and 12 percent of baby boomers.
Asked if it meant regular physical activity, the following agreed: 22 percent of Millennials, 14 percent of Generation X, and 12 percent of baby boomers.
Stress can lead to drinking alcohol and eating unhealthy food. The following said they reach for alcohol when stressed: 37 percent of Millennials, 23 percent of Generation X and 16 percent of boomers.
The following said they snack on unhealthy food when dealing with stress: 51 percent of Millennials, 48 percent of Generation X and 36 percent of baby boomers.
— Matthew Sturdevant
The Hartford Courant
Hints from Heloise:
Plastic ketchup bottles have more than one use
Dear Readers: Here are ways to reuse plastic ketchup bottles:
• Keep homemade salad dressing in one.
• Buy bulk shampoo and then keep a small amount in one for the shower.
• Make and store your own horseradish sauce in one.
• Place water in one and let kids water plants with it.
• Put pancake batter in one for easy pouring.
— King Features
Travelers can take steps to thwart identity thieves
You’ve read the advice about staying safe while traveling: Suspend your mail and newspapers. Let credit-card companies know where you’re going. Take only essential cards in your wallet. Require a password to access your cellphone.
But here are five tips to avoid identity thieves this summer — tips you may not have heard. Equifax, the big credit reporting agency, recommends that you:
• Tear up and discard used boarding passes. Don’t leave the passes in the plane or at a hotel. They might contain full names and personal information.
• Don’t announce your travel plans on social media. It’s like inviting crooks to rob you.
• Never access your bank accounts from your laptop while on a public WiFi location.
• Use ATMs only in banks.
• If you are taking an extended trip, call the credit reporting agencies and freeze your credit. That prevents an identity thief from taking out new credit in your name.
— Ellen Creager
Detroit Free Press