Baby boomers are living longer but in poorer health than previous generations
Baby boomers are living longer but in poorer health than previous generations at the same age, despite advances in medicine and greater awareness of healthy lifestyles, a global study has found.
Researchers found that people in their 50s and 60s were more likely to have serious health problems than people born before or during World War II when they reached that age.
The results cannot be explained by people living longer, say experts from the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL). Obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other diseases all hit people at younger ages.
According to findings published in the Journals of Gerontology, rates of disease and disability have increased over successive generations over the past century.
The lead author, Laura Gimeno, from UCL, said there was a ‘generative health bias’, with younger generations generally having poorer health than previous generations at the same age.
“Even with advances in medicine and greater public awareness about healthy living, people born since 1945 are at greater risk for chronic disease and disability than their predecessors.
“With up to a fifth of the population in high-income Western countries now aged over 65, increasing demand for health and social care will have a huge impact on public spending.”
Researchers analyzed health data from more than 100,000 people between 2004 and 2018, including several generations of people aged 50 and over in England, the US and Europe.
They found increasing rates of chronic disease, especially when comparing people born between 1936 and 1945 and those born between 1955 and 1959.
Rates of chronic disease increased across generations in all regions, with recently born adults more likely to have cancer, lung disease, heart problems, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol than their predecessors at the same age.
Although the prevalence of type 2 diabetes rose at the same rate across all regions, diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol increased most in England and Europe, with baby boomers 1.5 times more likely to have these problems than their predecessors. age.
Grip strength levels, a good measure of overall muscle strength and healthy aging, declined across generations in England and the US, but increased or remained constant in Europe.
Most people in the postwar generations were as or more likely than their predecessors to struggle with tasks like bathing, eating, walking short distances, and grocery shopping.
“Our study provides new evidence that recently born generations experience worsening health as they age,” says Gimeno.
“Despite declining disability rates among pre-war generations, chronic diseases and rising obesity rates could spill over into serious disabilities for baby boomers.
“If life expectancy remains stable or continues to rise, these worrying trends could see younger generations spend more years in poor health and live with disabilities.”