Are Millennials Now the Sick Generation? Here Are the Top Conditions Affecting Them

Compared to individuals in the generations that came before them, millennials have invested more in health. Unfortunately, a BCBSA report shows that as they continue to age, members of this generation will be less healthy in comparison to those who came before them.

The report goes on to list some of the conditions affecting millennials, with major depression leading the pack. Truth be told, mental health issues are relatively common in this generation, and you only have to spend some time online to attest to this.

Most millennials are battling major depression

Addictions

Next comes substance use disorder, whose name is self-explanatory. It is followed closely by alcohol use disorder, which also needs no explaining. These two go hand-in-hand, and it’s no secret that more and more millennials are succumbing to addictions they can’t shake off.

Despite the multiple campaigns against the use of tobacco, the industry remains to be one of the most profitable in the world. A significant percentage of the millennial population contributes to the profits the tobacco industry makes no wonder tobacco use disorder is one of the conditions affecting many of them.

Any type of diabetes is a nightmare for the patient. For millennials, type 2, also known as adult onset diabetes, seems to be the one plaguing them. In this type of diabetes, a patient’s body does not utilize insulin, leading to a marked increase of glucose in the bloodstream. As you already know, diabetes is a chronic illness, and for type 2, the body may end up producing less insulin as the condition progresses.

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is another condition haunting millennials. Caused by the clogging of blood vessels due to the accumulation of cholesterol, the condition can be attributed to the unhealthy feeding habits in this group. Fast food is all most of them ever want to have, and since it’s cheaper than fresh produce, they see no harm in indulging.

And as it turns out, high cholesterol also features on the BCBSA report. From what you know now, this is the precursor to hypertension, and it can prevent it by going organic. Forget the pizzas and the burgers, go for kales, spinach, fruits, and the like.

Crohn’s disease, also known as ileitis, is a disease of the digestive tract. Unfortunately for millennials with the condition, it is incurable. However, treatments are available for the complications that tag along and keep in mind that they can sometimes be life-threatening.

Forget fast food. Go natural

Completing the report’s ten disease list are hyperactivity and psychotic conditions, and you must have been living under a rock if you are yet to meet suffering from either.

Prevalence Rates

Dr. Vincent Nelson, the medical affairs VP at BCBSA, says that while the conditions affecting this generation are not entirely surprising, the big shock is their prevalence compared to individuals in earlier generations.

Dr. Deborah Serani, PsyD, an Adelphi University professor says that mental health issues affect millennials hardest, mostly because of how they were brought up. As she puts it, technology made millennials the first generation to grow up with limited human contact.

As such, they never learned how to understand emotions within themselves and with others, with most of them suffering from alexithymia. Understanding their feelings and thoughts is a daunting task, hence the feelings of being overwhelmed.