I would argue strenuously here Lisa that this was the case the previous four decades as well (prior to that, well, what the hell did we know?) To my mind the act of turning a half century doesn’t suddenly argue to look at nutrition (nor am I saying that this how I read your story). We do so much stupid shit with our bodies while younger that seems like the rest of our lives we are trying hard to make up for if not apologize to said body for the abuse. My hand is up here. I think we all too often ascribe certain foods etc to the young when they were bad for us all along. Turning fifty has little to do with it other than the HOLY SHIT I’m halfway through, maybe a dozen KK donuts aren’t such a great breakfast (again, my hand is up here). Not too many people I know, pro athletes aside, really attend to proper food, exercise, and nutrition early on. While we might be slightly more resilient to abuse earlier, we still pay a price, with massive numbers of obese and diabetic kids as living proof. Or dying of Covid as the case may be.

Fifty isn’t the signpost the doctors think it is. Our awareness of our precious body is the signpost, whenever that comes. The number is a big deal only because society says so. Other than that we mind our calories, like always, we mind our movement, as always, we mind our muffin tops as they come and go, as always, and we mind being reminded that we are aging by people who see a number, a gender and little more.

You’re active, healthy, engaged. Three things a lot of folks aren’t. Some of what your GP is assuming doesn’t apply. But what do I know? Not much. It took me forever to develop a relationship with my VA NP before we were health partners.