{"id":40923,"date":"2026-01-29T06:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T11:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?p=40923"},"modified":"2026-01-27T13:49:48","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T18:49:48","slug":"do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Claims that younger generations have more chronic health conditions have been circling for years. Earlier this year, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/health\/article\/lancet-report-health-wellbeing-adolescents-youth-generation#:~:text=More%20than%20one,destabilized%20global%20climate.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">National Geographic reported<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that more than one billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 are at risk of poor health outcomes by 2030, which accounts for about half of the global adolescent population. The original study authors in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lancet<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> attribute these risks to rising obesity rates and mental health issues caused by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)00863-3\/fulltext#:~:text=Since%20then%2C%20however,these%20new%20developments.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pandemic and multiple global wars<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, combined with changes in digital technologies and global climate destabilization.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pre-pandemic studies suggest that Gen Z is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2018\/stress-gen-z.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">more likely to seek treatments<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like going to therapy, while being the most open to changing their lifestyles to be healthier. However, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/40308111\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">most recent 2025 studies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> show that these <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/gen-z-more-likely-boomers-say-people-therapy-mentally-weak-2075443#:~:text=What%20To%20Know,have%20the%20time.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attitudes have changed<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and leaders must take <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thelancet.com\/journals\/lancet\/article\/PIIS0140-6736(25)00863-3\/fulltext#:~:text=Unless%20courageous%20actions%20are%20taken%20now%2C%20the%20future%20for%20adolescents%20looks%20bleak.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">courageous actions now.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, where is the truth? It may be somewhere in between. Let\u2019s take a closer look at younger generations and their chronic health problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Impact of Stress on Gen Z\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some chronic health conditions among younger generations may be attributed to stress. When stress responses are <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/healthy-lifestyle\/stress-management\/in-depth\/stress\/art-20046037#:~:text=The%20long%2Dterm,memory%20and%20focus.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">activated long-term<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, stress hormones can disrupt almost all the body\u2019s natural processes. In turn, those with chronic stress are at higher risk for a variety of health problems, from anxiety and depression to digestive issues, headaches, muscle pain, heart conditions, sleep problems, weight gain, and problems with focus and memory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2018, the American Psychological Association previously found that over 90% of surveyed Gen Z adults had <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/stress\/2018\/stress-gen-z.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experienced at least one<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> physical or emotional symptom of stress in the past month. About 75% of surveyed adults in other generations reported the same, marking a clear uptick in Gen Z stress levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The report concluded that gun violence, high-profile sexual assault cases, and family separations dominated the news cycle at the time, creating significant stress among young generations. But here\u2019s the real kicker: researchers published this report in 2018\u2014well before COVID-19.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-40925 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-in-therapy-300x200.png\" alt=\"Gen Z in therapy\" width=\"875\" height=\"583\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-in-therapy-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-in-therapy-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-in-therapy-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-in-therapy.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 875px) 100vw, 875px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among generations coping with the impacts of COVID, researchers found that Gen Z shows <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9362676\/#:~:text=It%20was%20found%20that%20members%20of%20Generation%20Z%20(Gen%20Z)%20were%20less%20resilient.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">less resilience than others.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They determined that Gen Z and Millennials face greater <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/36811122\/#:~:text=Our%20results%20indicate,public%20health%20concern.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">psychological vulnerability<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during the initial pandemic period because of their mental health challenges and maladaptive coping behaviors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With stress levels already higher than the general population, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/stress\/generation-z-millennials-young-adults-worries#:~:text=But%2C%20like%20their%20older%20counterparts%2C%20health%2D%20and%20finance%2Drelated%20concerns%20topped%20the%20list%20of%20stressors.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">high levels of financial-related stress<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and a global pandemic that left Gen Z vulnerable, it\u2019s reasonable to worry that Gen Z may have poorer health outcomes than generations before them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Gen Z Chronic Health Conditions\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Research indicates that chronic health condition rates have risen to unprecedented levels over the last two decades. Alarmingly, an estimated nearly <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uclahealth.org\/news\/release\/pediatric-chronic-disease-prevalence-has-risen-nearly-30#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of,journal%20Academic%20Pediatrics.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one in three young people<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are now living with pediatric onset conditions that significantly impact their lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Lauren Wisk, assistant professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services research at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.academicpedsjnl.net\/article\/S1876-2859(25)00035-X\/fulltext#:~:text=Discussion,adult%20health%20system.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">unprecedented rise in chronic conditions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is largely attributed to ADHD\/ADD, autism, asthma, prediabetes, depression, and anxiety.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the UCLA report, Wisk explains that these higher-than-expected chronic condition rates stem from increasing numbers of youth with socioeconomic vulnerabilities. In particular, those disadvantaged with less education, lower income, public insurance, and unemployment are all more likely to face chronic health conditions. Other <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/topics\/stress\/generation-z-millennials-young-adults-worries#:~:text=%E2%80%9CSome%20stressors%20are,as%20compounding%20factors.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">experts acknowledge<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> these are exacerbated by the pandemic aftermath and inflation<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wisk also explains that the majority of chronic conditions faced by younger generations are treatable with high-quality healthcare, but notes that the United States healthcare system does not always provide a pathway to treatment. She suggests that many young people are at risk of disengaging with care, which can exacerbate their conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>A Nuanced Situation\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is clearly a rise in reported chronic health conditions among Gen Z and even younger generations like Gen Alpha, keep in mind the bigger picture. Some of these increased rates are due to a better understanding of conditions and more thorough diagnostic materials. Healthcare providers now diagnose certain conditions more often because they better understand what to look for, even though other conditions are rising in prevalence for many reasons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, rising autism rates is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/politics\/fact-checking-robert-f-kennedy-jr-s-statements-on-autism#:~:text=U.S.%20Health%20and%20Human%20Services%20Secretary%20Robert%20F.%20Kennedy%20Jr.%20attracted%20notice%20%E2%80%94%20and%20in%20some%20quarters%2C%20outrage%20%E2%80%94%20for%20remarks%20about%20autism%2C%20a%20topic%20he%E2%80%99s%20clashed%20with%20scientists%20on%20for%20years.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hot topic of debate <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in many healthcare circles. While some people believe that autism rates are going up because of vaccines and other external causes, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.jhu.edu\/2025\/the-evidence-on-vaccines-and-autism#:~:text=But%20when%20it%20comes%20to%20autism%2C%20the%20science%20has%20already%20largely%20been%20done.%20If%20you%20gave%20me%20a%20pot%20of%20money%20and%20said%2C%20let%E2%80%99s%20do%20more%20vaccine%20safety%20research%2C%20autism%20would%20not%20be%20high%20up%20on%20this%20list%20because%20the%20existing%20science%20is%20already%20quite%20compelling.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">science doesn\u2019t back it up.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there are reasons behind the increased rates. As Christine Ladd-Acosta, PhD, vice director of the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, puts it, there are two main factors influencing the increase in<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> diagnoses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-40924 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-at-doctor-300x200.png\" alt=\"Gen Z at Doctor\" width=\"878\" height=\"585\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-at-doctor-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-at-doctor-1024x683.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-at-doctor-768x512.png 768w, https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-at-doctor.png 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 878px) 100vw, 878px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first factor is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/publichealth.jhu.edu\/2025\/is-there-an-autism-epidemic#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20main%20reasons%20for%20the%20increase.%20The%20first%20is%20the%20broadened%20definition%20of%20Autism%20Spectrum%20Disorder%2C%20which%20means%20that%20more%20people%20are%20meeting%20this%20definition%20now%20than%20previously.%C2%A0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">broadened definition<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Experts have expanded the diagnostic criteria, which means more people are meeting the definition than ever before. The second factor is an increase in screenings at wellness visits for young children. Increased awareness of autism has led more parents and caregivers to notice symptoms in their children at an earlier age, leading to increased diagnosis rates.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>READ: <a class=\"sc-keVmGr gFomhY\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/gen-z-cannabis-industry-trends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Is Gen Z Influencing the Cannabis Industry?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><b>The Bigger Picture\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The research points to a clear rise in chronic health conditions among younger generations. Gen Z reports being more stressed than other generations, especially as a vulnerable population throughout the COVID-19 pandemic \u2013 and since.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Gen Z also shows promise for wanting a better future. This generation is generally more open to going to therapy and seeking help for anxiety and depression, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/publications\/chronic-illness-mental-health#:~:text=People%20who%20have%20depression%20are%20at%20higher%20risk%20of%20developing%20certain%20chronic%20diseases%2C%20including%20heart%20disease%2C%20diabetes%2C%20stroke%2C%20pain%2C%20osteoporosis%2C%20and%20Alzheimer%E2%80%99s%20disease.%20This%20may%20be%20due%20to%3A\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">two risk factors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for a slew of chronic health conditions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, better awareness and understanding of conditions may explain some of the increased rates of chronic health conditions. In many cases, people are not experiencing a true rise in prevalence, but instead are recognizing more signs and symptoms along with enhanced public screenings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But we know that many of the existential stressors that contribute to chronic stress and thus chronic health conditions are here to stay. While an openness to therapy and healthier lifestyles may be a trend among Gen Z and younger generations, the rates of chronic health conditions among younger people are still on the rise. And while many of the conditions may be treatable with high-quality care, the current healthcare system and economy are not set up to serve all who need it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Claims that younger generations have more chronic health conditions have been circling for years. Earlier this year, National Geographic reported that more than one billion people between the ages of 10 and 24 are at risk of poor health outcomes by 2030, which accounts for about half of the global adolescent population. The original study&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":40926,"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17851,259],"tags":[16070,19073,19072,19076,19077,19075,19074],"class_list":["post-40923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-wellness","category-research","tag-adolescent-health","tag-chronic-health-conditions","tag-gen-z-health","tag-healthcare-access","tag-public-health-trends","tag-stress-and-health","tag-youth-mental-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v26.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Younger Generations Are Facing More Chronic Health Issues<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Cannabis Central\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Macey Wolfer\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@veriheal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@veriheal\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Macey Wolfer\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Macey Wolfer\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/522d1c2b3f8475e7be2a0a10a8027221\"},\"headline\":\"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/\"},\"wordCount\":1033,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Adolescent health\",\"chronic health conditions\",\"Gen Z health\",\"healthcare access\",\"public health trends\",\"stress and health\",\"youth mental health\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health and Wellness\",\"Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#respond\"]}],\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/\",\"name\":\"Why Younger Generations Are Facing More Chronic Health Issues\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00\",\"description\":\"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":1080,\"caption\":\"Younger generations chronic health conditions\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Cannabis Central\",\"description\":\"Industry News From Veriheal\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Veriheal\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png\",\"width\":1092,\"height\":405,\"caption\":\"Veriheal\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/veriheal\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/veriheal\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/veriheal\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/522d1c2b3f8475e7be2a0a10a8027221\",\"name\":\"Macey Wolfer\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Macey Wolfer\"},\"description\":\"Macey is a freelance writer from Seattle. She's covered the cannabis industry extensively, emphasizing the economic opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Her writing focuses on the people, stories, and labors of love behind every venture.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/authors\/macey\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Younger Generations Are Facing More Chronic Health Issues","description":"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?","og_description":"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/","og_site_name":"Cannabis Central","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal","article_published_time":"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":1080,"url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Macey Wolfer","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@veriheal","twitter_site":"@veriheal","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Macey Wolfer","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/"},"author":{"name":"Macey Wolfer","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/522d1c2b3f8475e7be2a0a10a8027221"},"headline":"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?","datePublished":"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/"},"wordCount":1033,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg","keywords":["Adolescent health","chronic health conditions","Gen Z health","healthcare access","public health trends","stress and health","youth mental health"],"articleSection":["Health and Wellness","Research"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#respond"]}],"copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/do-younger-generations-have-more-chronic-health-conditions\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/","name":"Why Younger Generations Are Facing More Chronic Health Issues","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg","datePublished":"2026-01-29T11:00:07+00:00","description":"Explore why Gen Z and younger generations report higher rates of chronic health conditions, stress, and mental health challenges.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z.jpg","width":1920,"height":1080,"caption":"Younger generations chronic health conditions"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/iowa-medical-cannabis-program-update\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Do Younger Generations Have More Chronic Health Conditions?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/","name":"Cannabis Central","description":"Industry News From Veriheal","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Veriheal","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/veriheal-rebrand-logo-inline-clarity-focusBG.png","width":1092,"height":405,"caption":"Veriheal"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/veriheal","https:\/\/x.com\/veriheal","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/veriheal\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/veriheal\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/522d1c2b3f8475e7be2a0a10a8027221","name":"Macey Wolfer","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/4-150x150.jpg","caption":"Macey Wolfer"},"description":"Macey is a freelance writer from Seattle. She's covered the cannabis industry extensively, emphasizing the economic opportunities for Indigenous entrepreneurs. Her writing focuses on the people, stories, and labors of love behind every venture.","url":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/authors\/macey\/"}]}},"thumbnail_medium":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/gen-z-300x169.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/109"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40923"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40928,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40923\/revisions\/40928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.veriheal.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}