Turns Out That Generation X Is More Healthy Than Millennials

millennial health

This seriously just added fuel to the anti-millennials fire. According to a new study from Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), the millennial generation is not as healthy as Gen Xers were at the same age. In fact, the millennial generation has experienced a double-digit increase in eight out of the 10 major health conditions, “ranked by adverse health impact,” as BCBS notes, in just three years.

Although 83% of millennials consider themselves to be healthy, only 68% of the generation (who were between the ages of 21 and 36 at the time of the study in 2017) have a primary care physician. Furthermore, BCBS found, on average, the millennial generation experiences a major health decline at age 27.

Conditions that affect millennials the most are diagnoses like major depression, hyperactivity, Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, and substance/alcohol/tobacco use disorders.

In comparison to the generation that came promptly before the millennials — Gen X, who are currently aged between 40 and 54 — millennials aged 34 to 36 are drastically less healthy than Gen Xers were at the same age. For instance, there is an 18% higher prevalence of major depression within that age bracket of the millennial generation than there was in Gen X.

And there’s a 19% increase in Type II diabetes prevalent within the millennial generation compared to when Gen Xers were in their 30s.

The difference in health status between millennials and Gen X during their 30s can be explained a few different ways. As Time pointed out, many millennials find it difficult to pay for healthcare, and therefore may not be able to professionally address their health issues.

And the recorded rise in depression could be explained by the fact that millennials are more open to talking about their mental health than older generations were at the time. So, that uptick *may be* a positive one.

Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot we can really do at this point to shift the results. We, as millennials, can simply focus on trying to maintain our health the best we can and try to keep this information away from Baby Boomers.

You know they’ll just rub it in our faces! They will!

Cardiovascular, behavioral, and endocrine conditions each jumped in prevalence from Gen X to millennials. So we should take extra care to stay heart-healthy, mind our mental health, and figure out our hormonal issues.

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Then again… maybe this is just the way we were meant to be.

In all seriousness, if you have been blessed with insurance, set yourself up with a primary care doctor. Like, now.

Having a doctor who knows your health history and can set you up with necessary referrals, prescriptions, and just basic physicals is key to staying as healthy as possible. Make your primary care doctor your new BFF.

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Because if you’re not at your peak health, how the heck are you supposed to think of #dank #millennialmemes like this? Think about it.

Millennial culture is actually just about making fun of millennial culture. You need to be at full mental capacity to do that.

Right? Yeah… Yeah, you totally do.

And we need our health to continue to fight in the Great Silver Wave War. We need all the millennial manpower we can get!

A side note: We’re really not that anti-Baby Boomer, btw. Mom, Dad, we still love you. It’s just that…

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However, that’s a fight for a different day. Today, we’re focused on maintaining our health. Check out the full Blue Cross Blue Shield report to get all the details.

Go to the doctor and take care of yourself, millennials.

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