5 Reasons Why We Need to Focus on Health of Young Adults!

Young adulthood is a critical time for development as it sets the ground for your future years. Not just in your professional life but also regarding your health. Ignoring your health in your 20s and 30s can lead to various health complications as you grow older. As a young 20 or 30-year-old, your health and parameters like blood pressure, blood sugar, or heart rate are not something you spend time worrying about. But, did you know that even as a young adult, aged 35 years and below, you are prone to lifestyle conditions like high blood pressure (or hypertension), diabetes and obesity? One-fourth of the young adult population is at risk of developing diabetes. In fact, high blood pressure in young adults is common today, and every one in five young adults is hypertensive. This makes it imperative for young adults to invest in stocks and funds and their health and well-being.

5 Common Health Risks Among Young Adults

As a young adult, you are not protected from but somewhat prone to health risks due to this generation’s lifestyle. The 5 most common health risks amount young adults are:

1. Obesity

It is common to see young adults working out in gyms or signing up with trainers. Despite this, obesity is prevalent among young adults; they gain weight faster than any other age group. Increased weight, increase in waist diameter, and obesity is high-risk factors for lifestyle and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity in young adults is linked to their eating and living habits and lack of initiative towards their health. Many young adults who are obese have been so right from their childhood or teenage years as more and more kids want to be home-bound or spend their evenings watching TV or playing video games rather than playing outdoors.

2. Hypertension

Blood pressure is the force that your blood applies on the walls of your arteries while flowing through them. When this force increases over 120/80 mm Hg, it is termed high blood pressure or hypertension. High blood pressure is called a ‘silent killer’ because it does not show any signs or symptoms in the early stages but continues to damage your blood vessels, heart, kidneys, and brain.

Many factors lead to high blood pressure. But, the most common causes of hypertension in young adults include:

• A stressful and hectic routine
• Sedentary lifestyle due to their desk jobs
• Long-working hours that leave them no time for physical activity or exercise
• Improper eating habits and eating time
• Tendency to eat unhealthily or junk food that is high in saturated fats, cholesterol, etc. that increase blood pressure
• Being overweight or obese
• Habits like smoking and regular consumption of alcohol

Also, since most young adults feel they are immune to lifestyle conditions, they are less likely to go for regular health checkups or seek medical care if they experience any symptoms of high blood pressure.

3. Type 2 Diabetes

Like hypertension, many young adults fail to understand if they have type 2 diabetes, even if they have the condition. Obesity and hypertension are both high-risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes. A growing number of young adults who are overweight or obese develop type 2 diabetes owing to their poor lifestyle choices and unhealthy living.

4. Stroke

Think of a stroke, and you will most likely presume it has occurred in an older individual, usually over the age of 65 or 70 years. However, many recent studies have shown that a growing number of adults below the age of 35 years are suffering from a stroke. The primary risk factor of stroke in young adults is high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and smoking. This increased risk is seen in both men and women in their 20s and 30s.

5. Colon Cancer

Colon and rectal cancers are slow-growing cancers most commonly observed in over 65 years. However, a growing number of younger adults suffer from colon and rectal cancers, and researchers cannot identify what is causing this trend.

Conclusion

High blood pressure in young adults is way too common today, and understanding its implications helps prevent complications, comorbidities like heart conditions, and early death. Other health risks are equally dangerous for young adults, apart from high blood pressure. However, people in their 20s and 30s can prevent these conditions by making healthy changes to their lifestyle such as regular exercises, eating a healthy nutritious diet, quitting habits like smoking and alcohol consumption, and regularly monitoring their health parameters. If you wish to know more about high blood pressure and its effects on the body and how to maintain it within normal limits, visit our informative blog on BPinControl here!