The Baby Boomer generation is ushering in its youngest members and is now the largest segment of Americans today.

The Vicksburg Health Network hosted its fourth annual Senior Health Expo Tuesday as a way to bring awareness to senior health issues.

“We’ve got health organizations from Jackson to Monroe and Rolling Fork coming to help and do things for our community,” said Natalie Noble, home health specialist with Gentiva Hospice in Vicksburg.

This year’s theme was “Happy Healthy You!” and had vendors from Shape Up Sisters, Gentiva Hospice and Grace Christian Counseling Center.

Noble said the Vicksburg Health Network started off as a group of marketer’s from different health organizations. Noble said they would meet for lunch and eventually grew a close bond. The partners wanted to do something for the community and decided to join together.

Vendors at the expo gave on-site screenings. The Lions Club gave glucose checks; Merit Health River Region Lab services gave cholesterol screenings; the fire department took blood pressures and Shape Up Sisters weighed visitors and took their body mass index.

“We just want to have an event where people can come and learn about different health and safety issues,” said Leigh White, marketing coordinator for Merit Health River Region. “

Several health issues arise, as someone gets older including arthritis, heart issues, diabetes and behavioral issues. White said that as people get older they’re worried about their minds or are afraid they may get dementia or Alzheimer’s.

White stressed the importance for having regular physicals because it is something that we overlook. White said people might go to the doctor for a cold and women might go to the OB-GYN and think they’ve been to the doctor but don’t get a physical.

Locally there are businesses that aim to help seniors lose weight and deal with mental health issues.

Linda Fondren created Shape Up Sisters in 2006 and is exclusive to Vicksburg. Fondren’s gym is for women ages 12-86. Fondren created an environment so women can come in, be with like-minded women and feel comfortable. Her gym is decorated with beautiful soft colors and wants the women to feel comfortable.

“My whole thing with Shape Up Sisters was to make it feel like it’s not a chore to exercise,” Fondren said.

Fondren said that when women come to a gym they don’t know what they are doing and have fitness motivators they can work out with.

Shape Up Sisters caters to women who may not have exercised before, who may or may not be intimidated by aerobics and want to improve quality of life. Fondren watched her sister struggle to do simple things such as find a comfortable sitting position.

“We can work their upper body, lower body, core and get their heart rate up in 32 minutes,” Fondren said. “When you’re done you can walk out the door and know you got a good workout and feel good about yourself.”

Grace Christian provides mostly talk therapy and gives individual, group and family sessions.

Katie Wright of Grace Christian outlined the symptoms of depression at the senior expo and said people with depression don’t recognize when they are having symptoms.

“A lot of depressed people may not want to go out in social settings and could be a sign that something is wrong,” Wright said.

Grace Christian offers Christian counseling and provide secular counseling as well.