MILLENNIAL HEALTH CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE
“You know there’s a retirement crisis going on when a sizable chunk of Americans think winning the lottery is a reasonable way to stop working, rather than developing a saving and investment plan. Yet nearly two thirds of millennials say winning the lottery could be a good retirement bet, according to a new survey conducted by Stash on attitudes toward investing.” From the last week’s issue of Stash Invest (Why Saving for Retirement Isn’t Playing the Lottery)
Considering I covered it back in early 2013 (GENERATIONAL HEALTH IS DETERIORATING), it’s not surprising to see a continuation of the same trend. New research from Blue Cross / Blue Shield shows once more that the health of our nation’s younger generation is not what it should be, nor what it’s been in generations past. After looking at over 70 million millennials (those in their twenties and thirties who were born between 1981-1996), their report (The Health of Millennials) determined that as a group “they have higher prevalence rates for nearly all of the top 10 conditions than did Generation X members when they were in the same age range.”
Despite 83% of millennials categorizing themselves as having “good or excellent health,” data shows a precipitous decline in American health, starting at (gulp) age 27. Twenty seven? That’s right. At an age when today’s young men and women should be striding confidently into their physical prime, statistics show that they’re already falling apart. Realize that as a company with billions to lose if these figures are off, this report is probably more accurate than most of today’s PEER-REVIEWED RESEARCH.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: WOMEN ARE TAKING ON THE CHIN: As I’ve shown you over and over on my site, women are much more prone to chronic health conditions (AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES and CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DEGENERATIVE DISEASES) than men. The number one reason that hormones go afoul (MEN or WOMEN) is the amount of sugar or high glycemic index carbohydrate being consumed (HERE). According to the BC/BS report, the difference between men and women in incidence of ENDOCRINE DISORDERS (parathyroid, ovary, adrenal, pituitary and other endocrine system-related conditions, including PCOS, parathyroid disorders, hypoglycemia, vitamin or mineral deficiencies and many others) was a bone crushing 162%.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: THE SLIDE IN HEALTH IS HAPPENING RAPIDLY: This is not an “erosion” of health — it’s a FULL-BLOWN LANDSLIDE. Not only is this rapid deterioration seen in regards to the past few years (2017 was far worse than 2014), it’s also significantly worse when millennials are compared to generation X’ers.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: DEPRESSION: CLINICAL DEPRESSION increased a staggering 31% from 2014 to 2017 in millennials, and 18% compared to gen X’ers.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: ADHD: According to these stats, HYPERACTIVITY increased 29% from 2014 to 2017 in millennials, and a whopping 37% in millennials compared to gen X’ers.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: T2D: TYPE II DIABETES has increased by an average of 20% in both categories. Not surprisingly, OBESITY has increased right along with. And as I’ve shown you in the past (HERE), blood sugar dysregulation is where everything health-wise starts going off the rails.
- MILLENNIAL HEALTH: OTHERS: PSYCHOTIC CONDITIONS, INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, HIGH CHOLESTEROL and SUBSTANCE ABUSE were all likewise jacked. BC/BS put it this way; “millennial Americans are experiencing double-digit increases in prevalence for eight of the top 10 health conditions.” That, folks, is double digit increases for a three year period — 2014 to 2017. BTW, psychotic disorders include, as per BC/BS, “hysteria, schizoid, emotional, sexual, gender identity, personality, food-related, tics, somatoform, affective, delusional, paranoid, dissociative, childhood disintegrative, pervasive developmental and other disorders.” As far as gender identity, be sure to take a peek at the second to last link in the first bullet point.
What can we take away from this report? Nothing new really. As I’ve been saying for a long time, if people think today’s older generation has health problems — people who grew up outdoors, raising gardens, engaging in regular physical activity and community, and eating real food — wait till they see what’s coming down the pike as far as our younger generation is concerned.
“Landslide” does not do justice to what’s taking place in American health. It’s more like a full-on TSUNAMI TIDAL WAVE! Blue Cross’ solution? I could only categorize it as a gumbo of PC mumbo jumbo.
“With a focus on engaging millennials, identifying key drivers and enacting innovative solutions, BCBS companies are launching Millennial Health Listening Sessions across the country, a series of workshops to learn from leading healthcare experts, employers, digital leaders and millennials on how the healthcare system can help create a path toward better health for this generation. The insights in this report on the health of American millennials can serve as a catalyst for improving the health of all Americans.”
People can say what they want about the staggering cost of medical care and drugs in America, but decades of poor choices by a dramatically increasing proportion of the population is the ultimate driver. It’s also why no one, Democrat nor Republican, has a valid, sustainable, fiscally responsible, national healthcare solution (HERE). That’s because health is as it’s always been — up to you.
No one can make you healthy. No one can legislate that you take better care of the health of your family. No one can force you to make healthy decisions regarding your FOOD BUDGET. And no one can make you GET OFF OF YOUR PHONE / COMPUTER and get outside and exercise. But someone could give you a health template.
Fortunately for you, I’ve created a list of things that people can contemplate as far as starting the process of breaking the chains of chronic illness and chronic pain, and taking charge of their life and health again. It’s not as difficult as you might think, as long as you have a blueprint — a written plan / directive. HERE is how to start the process of creating your own personalized EXIT STRATEGY to get you to the life and health you’ve always wanted.
And whether you are a millennial or not, realize that this process does not get easier as you get older — that’s why you need to start today. If you know someone who could benefit from today’s post or the powerful information found on our site, a great way to reach those that you love and value most is by liking, sharing, or following on FACEBOOK.
