Baby boomers living longer but are in worse health than previous generations

Baby boomers and people in their 50s are living longer but are in worse health than previous generations were at the same age, despite advances in medicine and greater awareness of healthy lifestyles, a global study shows.

Researchers found people in their 50s, 60s and 70s were more likely to have serious health problems than people who were born before or during the second world war when they reached that age.

The results cannot be explained by people living longer, experts at the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) said. Obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other diseases were all affecting people at younger ages.

Rates of illness and disability increased across successive generations during the last century, according to the findings published in the Journals of Gerontology.

The lead author, Laura Gimeno, of UCL, said there was a “generational health drift”, with younger generations tending to have worse 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 of chronic illness and disability than their predecessors.

“With up to a fifth of the population in high-income western nations now over 65, increasing demands for health and social care will have huge implications on government spending.”

Researchers analysed health data for more than 100,000 people between 2004 and 2018, covering several generations of people aged 50 and above across England, the US and Europe.

They found increasing rates of chronic disease, especially when comparing people born between 1936 and 1945 and those born from 1955 to 1959.

Rates of chronic disease rose across successive generations in all regions, with more recently born adults more likely to have cancer, lung disease, heart issues, type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol than their predecessors at the same age.

Although prevalence of type 2 diabetes rose at the same rate across all regions, diagnoses of cancer, heart problems and high cholesterol increased the most in England and Europe, with baby boomers and people in their 50s being 1.5 times more likely to have these issues than their predecessors at the same age.

Levels of grip strength, a good measure of overall muscle strength and healthy ageing, decreased across generations in England and the US, but either increased or remained constant in Europe.

Most people in postwar generations were just as likely or more likely than their predecessors to struggle with tasks such as bathing, eating, walking short distances and shopping for groceries.

“Our study finds concerning new evidence that more recently born generations are experiencing worsening health as they enter their later years,” Gimeno said.

“Despite declining rates of disability for the prewar generations, chronic disease and increasing obesity may be spilling over into severe disability for the baby boomers.

“If life expectancy remains stable or continues to increase, these worrying trends may see younger generations spending more years in poor health and living with disability.”