"Children being born today could be the first generation in two centuries who will not be expected to outlive their parents."

That startling tidbit was shared with the members of Tamaqua's Older and Bolder group last week during a presentation by Sean McGeehan, a health and nutrition consultant.Based on a recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine, McGeehan said some health professionals predict that America's growing obesity problem will soon start having a negative affect on longevity. This theory is based on health and mortality rates and is offered by a group of physicians.On the other side of the coin, life-extending technology has led the U.S. Social Security Administration to predict that life expectancy will continue to rise.McGeehan sees the difference in opinions as one of quality of life: "We're living longer, but sicker."Rising rates of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer and autoimmune diseases were the focus of his program in Tamaqua, linking those increases to changes in the food industry."Use of pesticides, genetic modification of the animals/plants that provide Americans with food and the use of sugar in almost every manufactured food product have all taken their toll on Americans' health. Autoimmune diseases such as lupus, Crohn's disease and fibromyalgia were all but unheard of 80 years ago," he offered. "What has changed in those 80 years? Our food supply."He suggested seniors, and everyone, pay more attention to food labels."Almost everything you find in stores has added sugar. It tastes good, but each gram of sugar is equal to four calories. A typical 12-ounce can of soda contains 44 grams of sugar. That uses up 88 grams of your recommended 2,000-2,200 calorie daily recommendation."Encouraging his audience to become food detectives, McGeehan suggested people actually read the labels of the food they buy and commit to buying more organic foods."You don't have to make major changes, do it by baby steps. Try having a meatless Monday every week. Add more wild caught fish, fruits and vegetables to your meals. Spend 20 minutes a day in the sunshine to ensure adequate vitamin D levels. Take control of your health."McGeehan knows how making the small changes in his life have had a positive effect on his health. His goal is to help others make small changes so they can live life to the fullest and the healthiest.