Bigger & Demographically Incompatible

 

Bigger & Demographically Incompatible

We are witnessing MAGA Trump followers and most of the rest of the voting public looking at Minnesota and either cheering the undertrained and recruited-for-aggressive-traits ICE agents – actually wanting more brutality and more warrantless arrests and deportations – or those simply horrified at the hyper-accelerating brutality-masquerading as legal enforcement. There are lots of schisms, seemingly irreconcilable differences across the land, but there are two factors that most of us miss: 1. Notwithstanding the miracle of semaglutides (administered by injection or now, pills) that result in profound weight loss, as long as the user stays on the medication, Americans are getting fatter really faster and 2. When Boomers and Gen Z mix it up in the work place, they both seem to inflict misery on each other.

Whether its from stress living in nation at war with itself – after all, eating calorie laden food and sugary drinks are often viewed as stress-relieving “comfort food” – following RFJ, Jr’s putting red meat at the top of the “healthy” diet food chain, or just bad habits getting worse, that average American waistline is expanding fast. The implications for so many things, from diabetes and other medical ailments to even airplane seats and manufacturing decisions in the apparel industry, are… er… huge.

Marcos Magaña, writing for the January 29th Associated Press explains: “On Wednesday [1/28], a new study published in JAMA by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle projected that by 2035, nearly half of all American adults, about 126 million individuals, will be living with obesity. The study draws on data from more than 11 million participants via the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and from the independent Gallup Daily Survey.

“The projections show a striking increase in the prevalence of obesity over the past few decades in the U.S. In 1990, only 19.3% of U.S. adults were obese, according to the study. That figure more than doubled to 42.5% by 2022, and is forecast to reach 46.9% by 2035… The study highlights significant disparities across states, ages, and racial and ethnic groups. While every state is expected to see increases, the sharpest rises are projected for Midwestern and Southern states.

“The rates increase with time for all groups. In 2035, projected obesity prevalence is highest among Black women at 59.5% and Black men at 43.1%, followed by Latino women at 53.7% and Latino men at 47.5%. White women and men have lower projected rates at 47.3% and 44.6%.”

Personally, I believe that this is a symptom of a society being crushed by stress and conflict. The pressures on our increasingly class-driven medical system might just unravel all the statistical assumptions driving the rightwing resistance to universal health care, available in every other developed country in the world… and many nations with vastly lesser resources. I have long maintained that universal healthcare is truly the only way to reduce medical costs and protect all Americans. Universal healthcare is not “creeping socialism”; it is simply a social benefit to the population at large, much like public education. Just like social media is not socialism. Bit wait, there’s more!

The unraveling of our job market, particularly impacting younger Americans looking for the beginning of their “careers,” and the hyper-acceleration of technology, has redefined the “culture of work,” most strained at the age extremes in the labor market. It was bad enough when we transitioned into a digital universe – millennials were the first truly digital natives – but it is now compounded by the ubiquitous application artificial intelligence into every corner of work.

There is a nasty addition in this new technology: AI is mostly used to replace human functions with autonomous AI functionality… everywhere. As we watch massive layoffs, tens of thousands at a time, at some of the most important employers in our country, some people cling to jobs they hate, fearing contracting opportunities, while others struggle to find new jobs… anywhere. If we look at two demographic cohorts, horribly divided culturally and in terms of job loss due to AI and even their perception of the world, each at the extremes of the labor force – entry level and near retirement, this misery becomes pronounced when they work together.

Writing for the January 30th FastCompany.com, Jeff LeBlanc drills into this disconnect: “From the outside, it looks like a generational standoff… Baby boomers are retiring earlier than expected, frustrated by workplace change, technology shifts, and growing tension with younger colleagues. At the same time, Gen Z talks openly about quitting jobs that feel misaligned or draining. Many leaders interpret this as a clash of values. Older workers cannot adapt. Younger workers lack commitment. The data tells a more complicated story.

“New research from Clari and Salesloft, conducted in partnership with Workplace Intelligence, surveyed 2,000 U.S. sellers and sales leaders across industries. The study found that 19% of baby boomers are planning to retire early because they are tired of dealing with Gen Z at work. At the same time, 28% of Gen Z respondents said they are actively searching for a role where they will not have to interact with baby boomers as much.

“The cost of that friction is not abstract. The research estimates that generational conflict is costing organizations roughly $56 billion each year in lost productivity, driven by miscommunication, burnout, and uneven adoption of new technologies like AI… On its own, that data suggests a workplace pulling itself apart.

“But another study complicates the narrative. Research from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, based on a survey of 1,000 employees, found that 71% of Gen Z workers are staying in a job or career longer than they want simply because they do not know how to leave. Nearly half say they are actively transitioning toward something new, while 68% report that their employer has no idea they are planning a change… Taken together, these findings reveal something leaders often miss… For many boomers, the workplace they are navigating today barely resembles the one they mastered. AI tools, shifting communication norms, and changing definitions of productivity have disrupted identities built on decades of experience and institutional knowledge. When those changes arrive without context or support, frustration grows. Early retirement becomes less about age and more about opting out of an environment that no longer feels coherent.

“Gen Z is facing the opposite challenge. They entered a workforce defined by constant change, but very little guidance. Career paths are opaque. Loyalty feels risky. Advice is often abstract. While they are often labeled as eager to quit, the reality is that many are stuck in roles they have already outgrown, unsure how to move on without harming their future.

“AI has intensified this divide rather than resolving it. For example, the same Clari and Salesloft research found that 39% of Gen Z would rather be managed by AI than by a baby boomer, while 25% of boomers say they would prefer working with AI over a Gen Z colleague. This preference is less about technology being superior and more about predictability. In environments where expectations feel unclear or inconsistent, AI can appear easier to work with than people.” We need new leadership models to ensure that those in our labor force have the tools to cope… and to find new human links across generations.

I’m Peter Dekom, and the entire concept of fat people defining our nation, generational divides splitting us even farther apart, all in the middle of the great political unraveling, form a deeply disturbing combination.