According to a recent health insurance report by Blue Cross Blue Shield, Millenials in this country born between 1981 and 1996 are now facing a serious health issue ~ aside from the epidemic of drug abuse and overdose ~ chronic illness!

Often seen as an illness that only older adults and seniors are plagued with, this data reveals that they are not only facing a shorter lifespan but a shorter healthspan as well. We all want to live a long life but one that is healthy and free of disease so this trend towards chronic illness is not good.

Basically, this report reveals the top ten chronic health conditions:

  1. Major depression
  2. Substance use disorder
  3. Alcohol use disorder
  4. Hypertension
  5. Hyperactivity
  6. Psychotic disorder
  7. Crohn’s disease/ulcerative colitis
  8. High Cholesterol
  9. Tobacco use disorder
  10. Type 11 diabetes

The age of 27 is considered the “tipping point” for health! Highly processed foods, environmental toxins, digital technology addiction, lifestyles, etc. all have taken its toll. The proportion of young adults who are obese has tripled since 1974. Roughly 2/3 of Millenials do not have regular physical activity, nearly 2/3 smoke cigarettes, and approximately 2/3 use illegal drugs.

So is there hope? The following are just a few tips to stave off chronic illness and improve that lifespan ~

  1. Maintain that lean body weight ~ according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is a major risk factor for chronic illness and can even be considered one itself.
  2. Get active for at least 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise most days of the week.
  3. Stay away from processed food and stick to real food, making the majority of your diet from plants, healthy fats and organic/locally sourced/humane protein sources. Avoid processed junk!
  4. Sleep! 6-8 (quality) hours of sleep per night is recommended.

Ray and I were in our 50’s when we began experiencing health issues. It was then that we began practicing prevention and started a supplement program along with more exercise and better food choices. That was over 20 years ago and we have benefited from making those decisions. I would definitely stress prevention using all these tips to anyone that falls into the category of Millenials who want to improve their lifestyle and prevent or reverse chronic illness.

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