A global study from the University of Oxford and University College London (UCL) finds baby boomers are living longer — but they’re less healthy than earlier generations, despite medical advances and greater awareness of healthy lifestyles.
Baby boomers, or “boomers,” are people born between 1944 and 1967. The generation got its name from the post–World War II baby boom.
The researchers found that people now over the age of 57 are more likely to have health problems than members of earlier generations were at the same ages.
The findings challenge the idea that a longer life span has meant better health: many boomers experienced obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other conditions earlier in life.
The study found that over the past century, rates of illness and disability rose from one generation to the next. Lead author Laura Himeno of UCL called this a “health drift,” where younger cohorts tend to be less healthy than their predecessors.
The study found that despite medical advances and more public awareness of healthy living, boomers face a higher risk of chronic disease and disability.
What Did the Researchers Discover?
The team analyzed health data from more than 100,000 people in England, the U.S., and Europe collected between 2004 and 2018. The study compared boomers with members of the “silent generation” (1925–1944).
They found that chronic disease prevalence rose from one generation to the next across all regions. Boomers in particular had higher rates of lung and heart problems, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and cancer than their predecessors did at the same ages.
Type 2 diabetes rose at similar rates across regions, but cancer, heart disease, and high cholesterol increased most in England and Europe. Overall, boomers were 1.5 times more likely to have these conditions than older generations were at the same ages.
Grip strength, a standard measure of muscle strength and healthy aging, fell from older to younger cohorts in England and the U.S., but stayed the same or improved in Europe.
Most people born after World War II reported more difficulty than their predecessors did at the same age performing tasks such as bathing, eating, walking short distances, and grocery shopping.
That suggests boomers are showing a steeper decline in health as they age.
Himeno concluded, “If life expectancy remains stable or continues to rise, these trends may lead younger generations to spend more years in poor health and with disabilities.” That could mean many boomers will live longer but spend more of those extra years in poor health.
The findings were published in The Journals of Gerontology.
