The generation of middle-aged individuals who are pressured to support both aging parents and growing children. Those of the sandwich generation are caught between the obligation to care for their parents--who may be ill, unable to perform various tasks or in need of financial support--and children, who require financial, physical and emotional support. These obligations demand considerable time and money. With the added burdens of work and personal issues, as well as the need to contribute to their own retirement, the individuals of the sandwich generation are under significant stress.