As each generation gets older they like to think that they are healthier than the previous generation, however, the baby boomers are now unable to confidently make this claim.

The new findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine, in a study conducted by a group of researchers from the West Virginia University School of Medicine.

The study revealed that a portion of the baby boomer generation, specifically the 78 million Americans who were born in the post-war baby boom from 1946 to 1964, were less healthy than most of their parents.



As of 2010, the baby boomers made up 26.1 percent of the U.S. population. Historically, the baby boomer population has been labeled the “healthiest generation”, due to their long life expectancy and their ability to take advantage of the newest medical care and public health campaigns.



However this label may no longer apply because studies are now showing that baby boomers have more elevated levels of certain conditions than the previous generation, including:

obesity

high cholesterol

diabetes

hypertension

Researchers led by Dr. Dana King, a professor in family medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine, examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). NHANES is a picture of health measures and behaviors administered by the U.S. government.

The investigators analyzed baby boomers aged 46 to 64 years between 2007 and 2010, as well as Americans with similar ages in 1988 to 1994.