A recent report published in America has prompted an urgent call to action to address a worrying decline in the health of young adults. The US report, entitled “Investing in the health and wellbeing of young adults”, has highlighted the declining health of 18-26 year-olds due to high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as poor diet, smoking, binge drinking and substance misuse, with the current generation also being the first to experience the effects of rising obesity rates in childhood and adolescence.

The editorial comment in the British medical journal, The Lancet, warns that although this is a report based on US findings, the concerns are just as valid for young adults worldwide. Young adulthood is cited as a crucial health period, with far-reaching implications for the entire life course. It should be a time of peak physical health and well-being, however for increasing numbers of individuals, their lifestyle choices are setting themselves up for lifelong health problems. Urgent action is called for, with young people in particular needing to get involved in promoting their own health and well-being.