Baby boomers more overweight, weak and sick in their 50s and 60s than pre-war generation
7 October 2024, 14:00
Baby boomers are more likely to be overweight and sick by the time they reach their 50s and 60s than the generation before them were at the same age, a study has found.
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Despite living longer, those born after the Second World War, from between 1946 and 1964, are more frail than the pre-war generation, according to the research.
Experts from the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) found the rates of chronic illness, obesity and disability had increased across successive generations during the 20th century.
In particular, they found adults born more recently were more likely to have cancer, lung disease, heart problems, diabetes, and high cholesterol as they entered their 50s and 60s.
The research team analysed medical data from more than 100,000 people aged 50 and over from across England, the US and Europe, between 2004 and 2018.
They looked at doctor-diagnosed chronic illnesses, body mass index, records on mobility and disability, grip strength and high blood pressure, and split the people into five groups by birth year.
They found rates of chronic disease increased across successive generations in all parts of the world analysed, and most significantly when comparing people born between 1936 and 1945 and those born 1955 to 1959.
People in England and Europe saw the highest increase in the rates of cancer, heart issues, and high cholesterol, with baby boomers 50 per cent more likely to develop one of these conditions than their predecessors.
Obesity could be one of the key causes of these health risks, the authors suggest, having also increased across successive generations, with diet changes after the war resulting in greater access to foods with meat, fat and sugar.
The pre-war generation were also much more likely to have jobs in manual labour before the transition to more office-jobs towards the end of the 20th century.
Other studies have suggested people’s worsening mental health is a drive behind the downward trend in overall health.
Laura Gimeno, the study’s lead author from UCL, said there was “a generational health drift, whereby younger generations tend 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,” she said.
She added that the “concerning new evidence” means there may be “younger generations spending more years in poor health and living disability” in the future.
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"Despite declining rates of disability for the pre-war generations, chronic disease and increasing obesity may be spilling over into severe disability for the baby boomers,” she added.
“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.”
The study also revealed the level of grip strength – a measure to show overall muscle strength and health ageing – had decreased across the generations since the war in England and the US, but remained constant in Europe.
Post-war generations were also just as likely or more likely than their predecessors to have difficulties with everyday tasks such as bathing and eating, walking short distances and shopping for groceries.
Baby boomers in Britain were nearly one-and-a-half times more likely to experience difficulties performing three or more such “personal care” tasks compared to those born during or before the war.
The study was published in the Journals of Gerontology.
