Gen X Faces More Years of Ill Health Than Baby Boomers, Study Suggests

A study of 135,000 people living in Britain published in Population Studies suggests that although they are living longer, they are not necessarily living healthier, reports CNN . The researchers looked at men and women between 25 and 64 whose health was monitored between 1991 and 2014 as part of the annual Health Survey for England. Later-born subjects reported the same or higher prevalence of bad general health, long-term illness, and high blood pressure than those born earlier — and they were more likely to have diabetes, circulatory illnesses, hypertension, and weight problems. "For those born between 1945 and 1980, the overall trend is towards an increasing proportion of years in poor health, with some health conditions beginning at an earlier age," said University College London Professor Stephen Jivraj. "This has worrying implications for healthcare services, which already face increased demand because of an aging population." In addition, more than half of the years of additional longevity gained by men and women who were 25 between 1993 and 2003 were expected to be spent in poor health. Jivraj said this trend was likely associated with diet and less physical exercise, while escalating social inequality over the generations studied could be a contributor.