Were our grandparents really healthier than us?

Ah, the good old days. People in the pre-World War II period were leaner than today — University of Sydney medical historian Peter Hobbins said recruitment records of young men joining the armed forces showed their weights were relatively low for their height — but that doesn't mean they had a better quality diet. "The amount of fat and meat they were eating had a huge effect on people's life spans, especially men," Dr Hobbins said. "Occupational health and safety has come a long way but it creates an environment that's highly inducive to long periods of low energy expenditure," Professor Dunstan said. We also have access to a much broader range of allied health options that have improved our overall health and wellbeing: "allied health professions beyond doctors and nurses who also help us live better as well as helping us not die as early," Dr Hobbins said.