They should be in the prime of their lives. But instead, those in their twenties and thirties are in worse health than their parents, a British survey has found.
Binge drinking, ready meals and a lack of exercise all take their toll.
As a result, the young are more likely to have migraines, catch a cold or become stressed than the over-55s.
According to the research, those aged between 18 and 34 are three times more likely to have a cold or flu than the older generation.
Nearly a quarter of the young regularly have headaches or migraines, compared to just 14 per cent of over-55s.
And they are almost twice as likely to have high stress levels.
The elderly also tend to eat more healthily. More than four in ten eat five or more portions of fruit or vegetables a day, double the number of young men and women.
And when it comes to alcohol, 20 per cent of the over-55s don't indulge, while just 10 per cent of those aged 18-34 abstain.
Six in ten of the elderly make fresh meals every day, compared to less than a third of the young.
And while three-quarters of over-55s say they eat a balanced diet, just half of the younger generation does so.
Less than a third of them regularly cook with fresh ingredients, compared to almost two-thirds of the older people.
What is more, almost 10 per cent of them admit to eating ready meals for every meal - and two per cent say they only eat at restaurants.
The older generation is also more likely to take a healthy amount of exercise, with 12 per cent spending at least 30 minutes doing so each day.
They may appear fitter, but only nine per cent of the young do that.
Over-55s also try hardest to have at least six hours' sleep and plenty of fresh air, according to research done in the UK for fruit brand Florida Grapefruit.
Chris Steele, the resident doctor on ITV's This Morning programme, said: "I have seen a rise in young people suffering from illnesses such as colds, flu and headaches.
"Long working hours, high stress levels and lack of exercise lead to people getting run-down and ill.
I think that Chinese young men and women are having the same problem now.
The following new words and phrases are what I am learning from this good article: Binge:
A period of excessive or uncontrolled indulgence in food or drink;
Migraine:
A severe, recurring headache, usually affecting only one side of the head, characterized by sharp pain and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances
作者: DZ 时间: 2008-2-14 08:11 标题: 回复 2# 的帖子
thanks for your strong support!作者: Sylvia_scj 时间: 2008-2-14 09:51 标题: 回复 3# 的帖子