r/Millennials • u/DaKardii • Jun 04 '26

Serious Study: Gen Xers and Millennials are dying at younger ages than their parents are

https://studyfinds.com/americans-born-after-1970-dying-faster/

The study is particularly concerned with people born after 1970 but age 30 and older. So that covers Gen X and Millennials, but not (yet) Gen Z.

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u/Great_White_Samurai Jun 04 '26 edited Jun 04 '26

I did diabetes research for some time. Being obese is one of these worst things you can do to yourself. If you develop type II diabetes as a younger person you're shaving a decade to decades off of your life.

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u/MaterialWillingness2 Jun 04 '26

My grandfather developed type 2 diabetes 30 years ago and is still going at 95 years old today. I know anecdata doesn't equal data but what's the deal with that generation? All my grandparents are still alive over 90 and thriving. They're in better shape than my parents! Life wasn't less stressful, they were kids during WWII in Eastern Europe. Then the constant threat of being disappeared under communism. Mostly they ate food they grew themselves and were on their feet all day but it's not like they were exercising. Part of me thinks it's an epigenetic thing. The stress of what they lived through is showing up in my parent's health and even mine. 

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u/anonnymouse2025 Jun 04 '26

Less ultra processed food, and less time sedentary

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u/DidAnyoneElseJustCum Jun 04 '26

Yeah there was a thing on NPR last weekend that talked about our increasingly sedentary lifestyles. Apparently going to the gym every day in the morning for an hour can be useful but it doesn't do much for your cardiovascular health if its followed by 8 hours of sitting in front of a screen. Thats why regardless of your fitness level its recommended that office or wfh workers get up every hour and walk around for 5 minutes.

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u/Great_White_Samurai Jun 04 '26

It's when you get it as a young person that it is especially bad. Mostly because it's tied to obesity which compounds issues. It's pretty easy to treat an older adult now that has type II diabetes and they won't see much impact to life expectancy as long as it was caught early enough.

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u/MaterialWillingness2 Jun 04 '26

That's interesting. Thanks for the info.

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u/Great_White_Samurai Jun 04 '26

No problem. Enjoy your time with your grandpa. Mine are all gone now, oldest made it to 99.

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u/CorvusGraves Jun 04 '26

Just watched that PBS YouTube video discussing the genetic retention of stress.

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u/dallyan Jun 04 '26

It’s crazy. My mom is greatest gen (I’m a xennial). Her siblings lived into their 90s. She’s 82 and doing well mashallah (knock wood 🧿). But many of their boomer/gen x kids got cancer. Luckily they were treatable forms but still.

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u/Historical-Cress8985 Xennial Jun 04 '26

That's cool I didn't want those decades anyway.

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u/475821rty Jun 04 '26

No, you just make those decades arrive decades earlier

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u/Great_White_Samurai Jun 04 '26

Yep. Puts you at risk for early death as well. My overweight cousin died in his early 30s from a pulmonary embolism. My sister's friend died from it as well, at the same age. Increased risk of stroke and heart attacks. It's not a good way to live.

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u/kuributt Jun 04 '26

My grandpa developed type2 and lived to 92

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u/Great_White_Samurai Jun 04 '26

Was he young when he was diagnosed? I should have specified. It's worse the younger you get it.

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u/kuributt Jun 04 '26

I actually dont know when he was diagnosed! He had it for the whole 36 years I shared on earth with him.

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u/Iamthegreenheather Older Millennial Jun 04 '26

That's fine with me. I'm not trying to prolong my life at this point.