Why Doctors Think Colon Cancer Is on the Rise in Gen Z and Millennials

 Generation Z and millennials are known for prioritizing their physical and mental health. However, that doesn't make them invincible when it comes to a certain type of cancer.

In the United States, the number of cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) has nearly doubled in younger adults—especially those between the ages of 20 and 49—since the early 1990s.

A 2022 study published by the National Library of Medicine revealed the rate of CRC has increased from 8.6 cases per 100,000 people in 1992 to 12.9 cases per 100,000 in 2018, with the biggest rise seen in those aged 40-49. While CRC death rates have been dropping in older adults, they have remained unchanged at 2.8 per 100,000 in younger adults.

While medical professionals cannot pinpoint one specific cause, there are many factors that may increase the likelihood of being diagnosed with CRC. Newsweek spoke to three doctors about the rising rates of CRC in young people and the lifestyle changes that can help prevent it.

Tim Spector, a British epidemiologist, medical doctor, and scientific co-founder of ZOE, a health science company specializing in personalized nutrition, spoke to Newsweek about the diets of Gen Z and millennials.

"It seems that younger generations want to eat well. However, because 'wellness' has become fashionable, there's a great deal of misinformation on social media. This can make it difficult for people of any age to know how to eat healthily," he said.

Researchers have discovered that consuming large amounts of ultra-processed foods (UPF) raises the risk of several types of cancer, including colorectal, breast, and pancreatic cancers. Candy, fast food, and sugary drinks may instantly spring to mind when thinking of this food group, but there are products marketed as "healthy" that are heavily processed and contain artificial ingredients, such as protein bars, granola, and vegan "meats."

The American diet can be characterized by insufficient fruits and vegetables, reliance on refined grains, consumption of fatty protein sources like fried foods and bacon, sugary drinks instead of water, and excessive processed foods high in sugar, fat, and sodium.

"We know that high fiber diets can help reduce risk for colorectal cancer but unfortunately the American diet is typically low in fiber," Dr. Anne K. Mongiu, a colon and rectal surgeon in New Haven, Connecticut, told Newsweek. "It includes multiple types of foods that we know can increase cancer risk such as red meat and processed foods.