Millennials to be Britain’s fattest-ever generation
MILLENNIALS are set to be the fattest generation on record, with three quarters overweight or obese by the time they approach 40, projections show.
Analysis by Cancer Research UK shows that the six million Britons who came of age around the millennium are far more likely to have a weight problem than the baby boomers who “never had it so good”.
The research suggests 74 per cent of millennials will be obese or overweight by the time they reach middle age – compared with a figure of 54 per cent among the post-war generation.
Experts said the statistics were “horrifying,” as they warned that obesity is now the second leading cause of cancer, second only to smoking.
The figures mean millennials are the most overweight generation since records began. Despite their reputation for following “health food trends,” those born in the Eighties and Nineties are actually already battling major weight problems, which are set to get worse unless Britain’s diet is radically overhauled, experts said.
Excess weight is linked to 13 types of cancer, including breast, bowel and kidney cancer.
Alison Cox, the Cancer Research UK director of prevention, said: “Being overweight is the UK’S biggest cause of cancer after smoking, but most people don’t know about this substantial risk. If more people become aware of the link it may help spare not just millennials, but all generations from cancer.”
The charity, which today launches a campaign alerting the public to links between obesity and cancer, is calling for a clampdown on marketing of junk foods, as well as action by individuals to improve their diets.
Ms Cox said: “The Government must play a part to help people make healthy food choices. We’re campaigning for a ban on junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed to protect young
people from advertising tactics which all too often promote fattening foods.”
Prof Linda Bauld, the Cancer Research UK prevention expert, said: “Research shows that our evolving environment has a vital role to play in the obesity crisis. Clever marketing tactics by the food industry and greater access to unhealthy food are all likely to have contributed to the rise in obesity rates.
“Extra body fat doesn’t just sit there; it sends messages around the body that can cause damage to cells. This damage can build up over time and increase the risk of cancer in the same way that damage from smoking causes cancer.”
“While these estimates sound bleak, we can stop them becoming a reality,” she added.
“Millennials are known for following seemingly healthy food trends, but nothing beats a balanced diet. Eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and other fibre-filled foods like wholegrains, and cutting down on junk food is the best way to keep a healthy weight.” Tam Fry, from the National Obesity Forum, said: “The figures are horrifying. They are the result of successive governments paying only lip-service to tackling an obesity crisis which was already headlines 20 years ago.”
More than one quarter of all adults are now obese, with two thirds overweight or obese, official statistics show.
The current figures for millennials, based on data from Health Survey for England, show that 40 per cent of those aged 16 to 24 are overweight or obese, along with 52 per cent of those aged 25 to 34. Next month, Public Health England will launch a campaign urging people to limit lunch and dinner to 600 calories and 400 calories for breakfast.
Prof Russell Viner, from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, welcomed the campaign from Cancer Research UK. He said: “With the growing body of evidence linking obesity to cancer – adding to what we already know about its link to heart disease and type 2 diabetes – this campaign is urgently needed.”