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From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.<\/p>\n
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.<\/p>\n
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.<\/p>\n
Your support makes all the difference.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nRead more<\/span><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIf you\u2019re reading this there\u2019s a good chance that you, like me, are a millennial. <\/p>\n
If so, you\u2019ve probably noticed more and more cases of friends or acquaintances with diseases that you would normally associate with later adulthood \u2013 hypertension, type 2 diabetes or perhaps even the one that we\u2019re all scared to name: cancer.<\/p>\n
Millennials \u2013 people born between 1981 and 1995 \u2013 are the first generation at greater risk of developing tumours than their parents. <\/p>\n
Between 1990 and 2019, cases of early-onset cancer among people under 50 increased by 79 per cent worldwide, and mortality by 28 per cent.<\/p>\n
The truth is that around 80 per cent of cancers are \u201csporadic\u201d, meaning they are not caused by hereditary mutations but by external factors that damage DNA over time. This includes what we eat and breathe, as well as our level of physical activity, rest, stress and exposure to harmful substances.<\/p>\n
In other words, the things that make the biggest difference are the lifestyle factors that surround us every day, and not the genetics we inherit. And we know that our parents\u2019 and grandparents\u2019 lifestyles differed greatly from our own.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Diets rich in ultra-processed foods have altered our digestive systems (PA Wire)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
Diet\u2019s effect on the body<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n One of the main factors behind this \u201cnew epidemic\u201d is diet. Childhood obesity began to skyrocket in the 1980s. In 2022, more than 390 million children and adolescents aged 5 to 19 were overweight \u2013 160 million of these were obese, according to the WHO.<\/p>\n
This condition is not just a question of aesthetics: it is associated with insulin resistance, low-grade chronic inflammation, and hormonal changes that increase the risk of developing colorectal, breast, or endometrial cancer.<\/p>\n
Most importantly, the effects of childhood obesity do not disappear with age. According to the Colon Cancer Foundation, a meta-analysis involving more than 4.7 million people showed that those with a high body mass index (BMI) in early life are at greater risk of colorectal cancer in adulthood: 39 per cent higher in men and 19 per cent higher in women compared to those who had a healthy BMI in childhood.<\/p>\n
Changes in diet have also altered our gut microbiota. It has been shown that diets rich in ultra-processed foods reduce bacterial diversity, and increase the proportion of strains that produce pro-inflammatory metabolites.<\/p>\n
This contributes to gastrointestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome or SIBO, which often seem to be endemic among millennials \u2013 ask a group of thirty-somethings which of them suffers from gastrointestinal problems and you\u2019ll find few hands are left unraised.<\/p>\n
Alcohol\u2019s invisible effects<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Millennials tend to drink less frequently but engage in more binge drinking (Getty\/iStock)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThe second major culprit is alcohol, as millennial gatherings often revolve around a table laden with food and drink. <\/p>\n
For years it was thought that a glass of wine could \u201cprotect\u201d you in some way, but today we know that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption: the International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies it as a Group 1 carcinogen, on the same level as tobacco. This is because the body converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, a compound that damages DNA.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, consumption patterns differ between generations. While baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964) drink more on a daily basis, millennials tend to drink less frequently but engage in more binge drinking, which carries significant risks. This is confirmed by the Spanish Ministry of Health\u2019s 2024 EDADES survey, which explores the different levels of risk associated with different behaviours across generations.<\/p>\n
And, as if that weren\u2019t enough, a recent study by Environmental Science & Technology found that many beers contain perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). These chemicals, also known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d, are linked to higher rates of testicular and kidney cancer.<\/p>\n
Not enough sleep<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n We sleep less and worse than previous generations. Recent surveys show that millennials and Generation Z get an average of 30-45 minutes less sleep per night than baby boomers, largely due to night-time exposure to screens and social media. This artificial light disrupts the release of melatonin, an antioxidant hormone that regulates the cell cycle.<\/p>\n
Chronic lack of sleep not only impairs DNA repair, but also reduces melatonin\u2019s protective effects against cancer. Reduced levels of this hormone have been linked to a reduced ability to counteract oxidative DNA damage and increased cell proliferation.<\/p>\n
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open image in gallery<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>Millennials are thought to sleep less and worse than previous generations (Eight Sleep)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nFurthermore, disrupted circadian rhythms interfere with the expression of genes that are key to repairing DNA. This means mutations accumulate over time, increasing the risk of tumour-forming processes.<\/p>\n
The weight of stress<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Millennials are probably the generation with the highest cortisol levels. When this \u201cstress hormone\u201d remains elevated for a long time, it not only promotes insulin resistance and hypertension, but also weakens the immune system.<\/p>\n
Research reveals that chronic stress increases inflammation, hinders the body\u2019s defences from eliminating abnormal cells, and can even \u201cawaken\u201d dormant tumour cells. In fact, studies in the general population have found that people with higher stress levels are up to twice as likely to die from cancer as those who manage stress better.<\/p>\n\nAbout the author <\/h2>\nLydia Bego\u00f1a Horndler Gil is a profesor en inmunolog\u00eda y biolog\u00eda del c\u00e1ncer at Universidad San Jorge. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The risks of self-medicating<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n Lastly, younger generations also resort to self-medication more than previous ones. This poses new short and long-term risks.<\/p>\n
Frequent use of paracetamol is linked to increased liver damage and a possible increase in liver cancer. Oral contraceptives, used for very long periods due to delayed motherhood, slightly increase the risk of breast and cervical cancer, although they do protect against ovarian and endometrial cancer.<\/p>\n
In addition, prolonged use of antacids and antibiotics has been linked to an increased risk of digestive cancer through indirect mechanisms such as carcinogenic compounds or intestinal dysbiosis (an imbalance in the gut microbiota).<\/p>\n
What does the future hold for millennials?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n The projections are worrying. It is expected that cancer cases could rise from around 20 million in 2022 to nearly 35 million in 2050 \u2013 an overall increase of almost 77 per cent. The trend is particularly marked in digestive and gynaecological tumours, which are becoming more and more common in young adults.<\/p>\n
We are the generation of immediacy, anxiety and quick-fix pills, but all is not lost, as we can take control of many of the factors that make us ill, starting today. Adopting healthier habits can reduce risks, and improve our quality of life in a future that is not as distant as we might like to believe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more If you\u2019re reading this there\u2019s a good chance that you, like me, are a millennial. If so, you\u2019ve probably noticed more and more cases of friends or acquaintances with diseases that you would normally associate with later adulthood \u2013 hypertension, type 2 diabetes or perhaps even the one that we\u2019re all scared to name: cancer. Millennials \u2013 people born between 1981 and 1995 \u2013 are the first generation at greater risk of developing tumours than their parents. Between 1990 and 2019, cases of early-onset cancer among people under 50 increased by 79 per cent worldwide, and mortality by 28 per cent. The truth is that around 80 per cent of cancers are \u201csporadic\u201d, meaning they are not caused by hereditary mutations but by external factors that damage DNA over time. This includes what we eat and breathe, as well as our level of physical activity, rest, stress and exposure to harmful substances. In other words, the things that make the biggest difference are the lifestyle factors that surround us every day, and not the genetics we…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8228,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11962"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}