Facebook Told My Grandmother She Needed Fat Pills

You gotta love the Baby Boomers. They have seen a massive shift in culture. They were raised by their elders who probably saw a lot of desperate days and they are now being subjected to their grandkids TikTok feeds. A large chunk of my family were mostly blue-collar workers that ground their bodies into a withered shadow of their former self. They deal with pain daily and try to maneuver a body that may have several joint deformations and bad movement patterns. For them, they think the damage is done and do not try to remedy the situation. And don't get me started on their medicine cabinets.

Recently, my 94-year-old client passed away. He was very healthy almost to the end. His body succumbed to a simple infection and he went quietly and peacefully. In the 6 years I worked with him, he had AMAZING posture for his age. Luckily he did not need to use a walk with any aide. He was a decorated military man and even after retirement he was always in good form when he stood, walked, and sat in a chair. His family who would often visit our sessions would talk about how he was always active and worked out his entire life. A few years after he moved into a retirement home his daughter thought it would be a great idea to join my gym and sign up for personal training. After a reluctant beginning, he started to remember how good it felt to feel good. He exercised twice a week. His doctors started reducing his medications. He started moving a little easier and standing up from a chair like a pro. The thing that really stuck out the most was he was able to recall things and tell me stories about his childhood and adult-like. His memory was improving. I will always cherish the time I had with him. He will always be missed.

As a young trainer, I did not have as much appreciation for the aging body as I do now. I find the most rewarding moments of my career are when something that goes away is regained. I find some of my older clients are the most devoted to their health and fitness. Weight loss is typically not at the top of the list of goals but rather getting back movement (Mostly) getting out of pain. I also find that nutritional information is something my older clients love learning about. For them, it is the Wild West out there. They are a big demographic for target advertisers that sell snake oils and garbage that doesn't do anything. 75% of Baby Boomers are on Facebook and are easily targeted. In my opinion that is pretty F****d Up and horrible practice. Even Big Pharma is targeting these people. Not a lot of “companies'“ on the web have their best interests in mind. So when I am working with this demographic I have to roll my eyes (politely) when they tell me about something they heard or read. These people are very trusting of advertisers, unfortunately. As a trainer, you gotta stay informed on the facts and the studies. My famous line is "If there was a fat pill that worked, we wouldn't see so many fat doctors."

One day I was sitting with my grandmother and she was playing on her beloved iPad and she was watching this never-ending video that kept saying “In a minute we are going to discuss a breakthrough weight-loss method that is revolutionizing the health market.” 45 minutes later, she is yelling for them to give her the answer. Seriously?! It ended up being some diet pill. She was so convinced it would help her that she started arguing with me about it. She was like a toddler that wanted me to buy her a toy. She was instantly brainwashed. She isn’t even overweight. Eventually, she snapped out of it and realized she was being targeted by a scam.

So where should you begin if you want to get a Baby Boomer back to health? If you know a Baby Boomer, start with what they would be comfortable with. There are wonderful senior classes available, but that is not for everyone. I took my grandmother to one a few years ago and she had a meltdown in the class. We never went back. She luckily found some videos she enjoyed and worked out at home. If you ARE a Baby Boomer then first start with letting your Primary doctor know your intentions. If you are severely out of shape and or have any orthopedic issues then I highly recommend finding a personal trainer that specializes in one on one or very small group training. Seasoned trainers have the experience and are up to date on the science-backed exercises. Have a trainer set up a program for you to follow. Find out which exercises are best for your body. Everybody is a little different so you want to make sure you are doing the right thing. (Side note for diabetic clients: Check your numbers often. A sudden boost of exercise can change your numbers so talk to your doctor.)

My clients are usually split between training in-home and in the gym. For the social creatures, I highly recommend joining your local gym. Being part of a community is very healthy for you. I personally like avoiding distractions at the gym which is why I work out at a facility where nobody knows me.

There are A LOT of Baby Boomers out there. A good portion of them is subjected to the misinformation that goes unregulated. It is up to us healthcare professionals to help them navigate these waters.