Disturbing Trends in Health of Gen X and Gen Y

As Gen X reaches mid-life, with Gen Y, or millennials, at their heels, researchers have found that these age groups are experiencing a concerning decline in health compared to their parents and grandparents when they were the same age. A recent national study published in American Journal of Epidemiology found these generations to have poorer physical health, higher levels of alcohol use and smoking, as well as more depression and anxiety.

Lead author of the study and professor of sociology at Ohio State University, Hui Zheng, along with Paola Echave, a graduate student in sociology at the university, say this indicates an increase in the likelihood of developing diseases and dying at an earlier age than their predecessors.

Researchers used data from the National Center for Health Statistics to study those born between the years of 1965 and 1980 (Gen X) and those born between 1981 and 1999 (Gen Y). They measured physical health by concentrating on metabolic syndrome, which includes a myriad of risk factors for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and diabetes. They also reviewed the inclination for chronic inflammation and evaluated renal function.

The results indicate that physical health has worsened from the Baby Boomer generation, who were born between 1946 and 1964. Increases in metabolic syndrome, with risk factors for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and diabetes, were found in Caucasians, while increases in chronic inflammation were most common in Black Americans, especially males. The rise in obesity contributes to metabolic syndrome but could not account for chronic inflammation.

The exact cause of the health decline was beyond the scope of the study, however, results showed that levels of anxiety and depression have steadily increased since the War Babies generation, born between 1943-1945, with the probability of alcohol and street-drug use on the rise as well. The findings are an early warning sign to heed, Zheng says, and without effective policy interventions, the disturbing trends could become a battle that will need to be fought.