Aging Trends and What They Mean for You

The population is aging and it is having some fascinating demographic impacts as a results. It all started with the baby boom: After World War Two, a large contingent of soldiers returned from the front lines. The economy was soaring, jobs were plentiful, housing was cheap, and life was good. In those conditions, they produced large families that often averaged 4, 5, 6, and 7 children. This big group of children was born between 1943 and 1962 (although experts vary the exact dates by a year or two on either side).

On its own, this is an interesting social study. But consider how this demographic evolved: That segment of the population got older. By the late 60's and early 70's, this demographic started reaching their teen years and it's no surprise that great rock 'n' roll bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones came out of this era. In the late 70's and early 80's, this group entered the job market as young adults starting families. The 80's, then, were the years of the climbing the corporate ladder. In the 90's this middle aged demographic sent their children to high school. At the dawn of the new millennium, many of them were at the financial pinnacle of their careers and their children were just entering or just graduating from college.

Drilling deeper, this giant demographic has further implications: A smaller baby boom occurred in the late 70's and 80's when Baby Boomers started having families. And now, that demographic - "Baby Busters" or "Gen-X" - are having their own children. With those demographic facts in mind, consider the implications to the health and beauty industry:

There is massive wealth spread across three generations - Boomers, Busters, and the new generation of children being born now and they have more money per person than ever before. This is a media-savvy "triad" of generations that are plugged in to their TVs, computers, the web, iPhones, and other devices. They are closely connected - and closely follow - social leaders like celebrities. As a result of the media exposure, this generation is also very style conscious, and have access to a variety of style choices to help them look and feel younger. Additionally, medical advancements have created an array of anti-aging solutions to prolong youthfulness and to help people look younger. Lastly, advancements in science and information have helped created three generations of highly intelligent women who are aware of and in control of their health and well-being in a way that was never possible before.

What does this mean for health and beauty? There are more options than ever before and this demographic is motivated to prolong how young they look (to match their longer, healthier lifespan). There are many options available to them to live happy lives where health and beauty are enhanced.