Millennials on Track to Become Fattest Generation of Brits, Research Suggests

The joys of being a millennial know no end. You’re never going to own a house and you’ll spend three times more than your grandparents did on rent. Everyone thinks that this is because you bathe in £90,000 worth of avocados. Your mum keeps asking “how the saving’s going,” but you don’t have the heart to tell her that you spent your last £36.40 on tobacco, a decorative cactus, and air freshener to disguise the strange damp smell in your bedroom.

Well, here’s some more fun news for the generation of doom. Cancer Research UK has released new data that shows that 70 percent of those born between the early 1980s and mid-90s will be obese by middle age. In comparison, 50 percent of baby boomers were classed as obese by middle age.

As reported by the Guardian, the research suggests that millennials will become the fattest generation of Brits. In comparison, 50 percent of baby boomers were classed as obese by middle age.

Cancer Research UK, the world’s leading charity on cancer research, released the new information as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the links between obesity and cancer. In a press release, the charity explained that being overweight or obese in adulthood is linked to 13 different types of cancer, including breast, bowel, and kidney. However, only 15 percent of people in the UK are aware of this.

Alison Cox, Cancer Research UK’s director of prevention, said in the press release: “Being overweight is the UK’s biggest preventable 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.”

Speaking to MUNCHIES over email, professor Louis Levy, head of nutrition science at Public Health England, said that the Government is considering new food advertising legislation in an attempt to combat obesity in young people. “We know overweight and obese children are likely to be the same when they become adults,” he explained. “One of our major contributions to tackling child obesity is to review the model underpinning restrictions on advertising to children and we’ll consult on it shortly.”

But what can millennials do to stop the risk of obesity? Rebecca McManamon, a consultant dietitian, told MUNCHIES, “Simple tips like eating more slowly and stopping when you are full, not eating in front of screens, not skipping meals with planning meals, reading labels, and—not to forget—increased physical activity can all contribute to weight loss or preventing the weight gain these statistics are forecasting.”

Well, at least when we run out of money for heating or clothes, we’ll have the fat insulating our major organs to keep us warm.