The Youngish Old Grow Less Robust

Though healthier than the semi-old folks of earlier generations, people in the 50-64 age bracket have begun deteriorating nonetheless. A new report by The Commonwealth Fund makes this plain in analyzing data on people this age who work or whose spouses work. In rating their overall health, 59 percent said it’s “excellent” or “very good”; 26 percent said it’s “good.” Just 15 percent said it’s “fair” or “poor.” However, a query about specific serious maladies found lots of 50-64s have one or more (see chart below).