Work, family, passions: how the profile of seniors has changed in recent years. A research commissioned by theYakult Observatory at GfK Eurisko, photographs the situation of graying Italians in Italy. People who are between 55 and 75 years old, a veritable army of 13.300.000 individuals representing 22% of the total population, constituting a new demographic segment which observers are keeping a close eye on, because it is changing significantly in recent years.
In 2030, out of 5 Italians, 2 will be over 65 years of age, life expectancy at birth for the Belpaese is around 80 years for men and almost 85 for women, while our centenarians already number more than 16.000 today: “There is a metamorphosis taking place therefore in our country” says the research. “They advance i New Seniorsincreasingly numerous, with a growing socio-economic weight.Bridge between past and present, represent the strong link in the generational chain, giving support for elderly parents, often fragile and not self-sufficient, but also to the children, already great, whose prospects are precarious and disappointing.
The Observatory of Yakult, a producer of probiotics present in 33 countries around the world, aims to explore the world of well-being and proper nutrition, contemporary lifestyles and the socio-economic trends of Italians. With this study he wanted to understand who are the New Seniors in Italy, what do they do, because they are happier than traditional seniors, what they aspire to, and, above all, what they want to do in the second half of their life, often more exciting than that of the juniors, children and grandchildren whose precarious working conditions often prevent an autonomous and peaceful existence.
The numbers
There are 2.400.000 New Seniors in Italy, they are between 55 and 75 years old, they are active people dedicated to taking care of themselves: they play sports, they pay attention to what they eat, they use the latest technologies to communicate, they often go to the theater and to the cinema and cultural events, they have a satisfying sentimental and sexual life. Compared to the so-called traditional seniors they feel much fitter, they havemore friendships, more interests and projects, less fear of getting sick and less fear of the future.
From the research of the Yakult Observatory it emerges that the New Senior they work double that of traditional seniors (45% against 24%). They love a lot travel (four times more than traditional seniors) and go on trips (double), they read more (more than double). Then the New Seniors they take much better care of themselves compared to traditional seniors (double) by practicing sports, paying attention to one's beauty, health and nutrition, which is perceived as a fundamental element of prevention: 73% in fact reduce sugars, salt, fats and alcohol.
The New Seniors are much less inert than their colleagues: compared to traditional seniors, less than half are "neglected" or experience their condition with discomfort. And the free time? The New Seniors are assiduous cinema, theater and museum goers: they go three times as much as traditional seniors (73% against 28%), and they go to the gym much more, with a ratio of 12 to 1! Me too'use of technology sees them differentiate themselves to the fullest: in the last three months they connected twice as much to the internet as traditional seniors, use three times as many social networks and watch much less television (half).
