Millennials are becoming unhealthy as they get older, according to a new study conducted by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA). The report also reveals the top 10 health conditions affecting millennials:
*Type 2 diabetes
* Depression
*Substance abuse
*Alcohol addiction
*Hypertension
*Hyperactivity
*Psychotic issues
*Crohn’s disease
* High cholesterol levels
* Tobacco use disorder
“While the top 10 conditions affecting millennials are not necessarily surprising, what is shocking is the prevalence rates for each of these conditions in millennials when compared to rates for previous generations,” Dr Vincent Nelson, vice president of medical affairs for the BCBSA, told a news portal. Adding, "Because significant health challenges are rising among millennials earlier than in previous generations, we must address these issues now."
Researchers also found that behavioural health conditions affect millennials more than physical issues. “While we may be seeing moderate diagnosis impact across all generations for previously stigmatized behavioural health conditions, millennials are seeing higher growth in prevalence than either Gen X or baby boomers,” Nelson told a news portal.
Advances in technology and too much media could be some of the reasons millennials are getting affected by a vast range of health issues, according toDeborah Serani, a professor at Adelphi University. “Stories of terrorism, natural disasters, or catastrophes that were nonexistent generations ago, are now available around the clock,” Serani told a news portal. Adding, “Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, and fear regarding these events permeated into the world of millennials either by witnessing such stories themselves. or through the contagious fear reactions from adults in their family circle.”
One thing Serani urges millennials to practice today is self-care to try an tackle these issues. “Self-care is a learned behaviour. It isn’t something that just occurs. [Millennials should] focus on [incorporating] self-care skills like mindfulness, good eating, healthy sleep, and exercise into their life not for the short run, but as a long-term commitment,” she told a news portal.
Nelson encourages people to be more open about their struggles to tackle mental health issues. “Nobody is immune to mental illness and substance use disorders. [Millennials] should learn the signs and symptoms of these disorders in themselves and their peers,” Dr Jonathan Avery, director of addiction psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, told a news portal.
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