Gen X outweigh boomers

While previous studies show baby boomers have highest level of obesity than any age group in Australia, new South Australian research reveals some alarming statistics.

Research conducted by University of Adelaide PhD student, Rhiannon Pilkington, exposes that Generation X – those aged from 32 to 46 – is already on the path to becoming more obese than baby boomers (aged 47 to 65 years).

As part of her research, Ms Pilkington compared obesity levels between the two generations at equivalent ages. Using data from the National Health Survey, she compared Generation X in 2008 to boomers at the same age, in 1989.

“This comparison paints a very poor picture of Generation X. It gives rise to major concerns for the future health of Gen X and Australia’s ability to cope with that burden,” she says.

At the same age, Gen X males have nearly double the prevalence of obesity: 18.3% compared with 9.4% for boomers. There is a smaller but still significant difference in females, with 12.7% of Gen X women being obese in 2008 and 10.4% of boomer females obese in 1989.

Ms Pilkington’s PhD research covers the health status and health behaviours of Gen X and baby boomers, and the major role the workplace has to play in their health.

Boomers and Gen X together make up more than 75% of Australia’s workforce, according to Ms Pilkington.

“Their health and the role of the workplace in promoting a healthy, or unhealthy, environment are of critical importance to the Australian economy, to society and to people’s quality of life.

“Obesity has become the new smoking – it’s a major driver of ill health, with coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes highest on the list of preventable illnesses.”

The next step for Ms Pilkington is to conduct a survey to examine any health-promoting features at various workplaces, and the barriers to, and enablers of, new programs aimed at improving workers’ health.

“The benefits to employers and employees of such changes include increases in productivity, decreases in absenteeism and presenteeism (when people are at work but are not productive), boosting staff morale, team bonding, and a reduction in staff turnover.

“As a nation, we need to be promoting programs and policies that will see sustained cultural and behavioural change. We need to encourage improved health at a population level and really tackle our preventable, lifestyle-driven chronic illnesses.”