In just the past decade, the health of people ages 70 and up has improved dramatically. This development has, among other things, allowed them to travel more -- with positive implications for the travel industry market. Seniors now hold half the passports in the country, even though they are only one-third of the population.

Using Census Bureau data, researchers have compared Americans age 50 and older in 1984 with the same age group in 1993.

• They found improvement in activities such as reading a newspaper without eyeglasses, carrying a 10-pound weight, climbing a flight of stairs without resting and walking a quarter mile.

• Among people 80 years and older, 73 percent of the 1993 group could read a newspaper without glasses -- compared to 65 percent in the 1984 group.

• Among the same group, 10 percent more could handle a 10-pound weight in 1993 than could in 1984.

• Researchers at Duke University have measured a 15 percent decline since 1982 in the percentage of seniors who are physically disabled.

In 1921, the average life expectancy was 60 for men and 61.8 years for women. For Americans born today, it is 76.5 years -- 73.6 years for men and 79.2 years for women. Those who make it to age 75 live another 11.1 years, on average.

Source: Laura Parker, "Too Old? Yeah, Right," USA Today, October 23, 1998.