The UK is experiencing a “generational health drift”, with younger people suffering poor health earlier than previous generations, researchers warn.
A study of more than 88,500 individuals born since 1946 found issues were most stark concerning obesity and mental health.
Experts from University College London (UCL), King’s College London and the University of Oxford examined changes in physical and mental health across generations born between 1946 and 2000–02.
They looked in detail at the health conditions people had and at what age, comparing these with other generations.
The researchers found little suggestion of health improvements for people born since 1946, a trend they said has implications for those working and supporting the economy.
For several outcomes – particularly obesity, mental ill health and diabetes -“prevalence of poor health was higher in more recent generations”.
The team said: “Long-term declines in mortality and fertility mean that by 2050, one quarter of the British population will be aged 65 and over, with considerable implications for future demand for health and social care and also for the economy.
“Ensuring that more recently born cohorts both live longer and do so in good health is important for facing the challenges of population ageing.”
The findings, published in the journal Population Studies, included data from 51 studies published up to June 2024.
The team warned that the higher prevalence of ill health in more recent generations “suggests that more years in total may be spent living in poor health” than experienced by previous generations.
They concluded: “While several mechanisms could explain the generational health drift, evidence from the British birth cohorts suggests that more recent cohorts are experiencing an earlier onset of poor health for several outcomes, particularly obesity and mental ill health.
“If more recent generations are ‘drifting’ backwards in health, it implies that society is not reaching the biological limits of health improvement but rather seeing the consequences of preventable social and environmental exposures that have shaped population health over time and across generations.
“The generational health drift has serious implications for policy, planning and the funding allocations needed to be able to support a greater number of people living with chronic health conditions.”
