Reference; https://mbp-japan.com/jijico/articles/32457/
Modified and translated by CFJA
Feeling Healthy in Your 30s—But Are You Actually Overworking Your Body?
People in their thirties often experience the greatest concentration of major life events, such as marriage, childbirth, raising children, and taking on a mortgage. As a result, this can be a period when mental and emotional burdens become particularly heavy.❸
At the same time, people in their thirties still have considerable physical reserves, making it possible to push themselves harder than they should. Physical and internal diseases also tend to remain hidden at this stage of life.
This decade is characterized by a large gap between subjective well-being (how healthy one feels) and objective indicators of health (changes detected through medical examinations). This can be inferred from the difference between diseases with a high treatment rate (the proportion of people who visit hospitals) and those with a high prevalence (the proportion of people who actually have the condition).❶
Many people in their thirties may think:
- I am healthy.
- I am not sick.
- I will not become ill.
- My current health will continue indefinitely.
- I cannot imagine my physical strength declining.
In fact, many people may never consciously think about these questions at all.
As a result, relatively few people actively visit medical institutions or undergo regular health screenings. Those who work for companies often have annual health checkups, but self-employed individuals or people who have recently started a business are often too busy to prioritize such matters. It is also likely that men are less inclined than women to pay attention to their health or daily habits.
For women, many local governments in Japan have recommended gynecological screenings beginning in their twenties, and increasing numbers of women make use of regular checkups. Because women are biologically at higher risk for uterine and breast cancers, the following conditions are often detected at an early stage in their thirties:❷
- Cervical cancer
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
Several factors are thought to contribute to this, including changes in lifestyle and an increase in the number of menstrual cycles due to fewer pregnancies. The most common cause of cervical cancer is viral infection, accounting for nearly 100% of cases. Infection often occurs in the twenties, and the disease may develop after a latency period of around ten years, which explains why many cases are diagnosed in the thirties.
For men, on the other hand, there is generally no established system of regular screening specifically aimed at early cancer detection. Although treatment rates remain relatively low, cases of rectal cancer begin to increase.
In the early stages, colorectal cancer often presents no symptoms, but as rectal cancer progresses, symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting, or difficulty passing stool may appear. Many people seek examination only after noticing such symptoms, which is likely why the disease is detected at that stage.❺
In general, the number of colorectal cancer patients begins to rise in the forties, with a peak incidence in the sixties and seventies.❻
For these reasons, it is important for people in their thirties to undergo regular health screenings and maintain an accurate understanding of their health status. One important lesson from early screening data is that people in their thirties should not be overconfident in believing that they will not become ill.
Classical texts of Eastern medicine state that
- women begin to experience a decline in physical strength around the age of 28,
- men around the age of 35.
Even when a person appears healthy, a gradual decline in physical vitality may already be underway.
If men were to undergo medical examinations more actively, it is likely that more early signs of lifestyle-related diseases would be detected.
For those interested in learning more about ways to improve conditions that are common among women in their twenties and thirties, we invite you to refer to the following blog posts from The Centre for Japanese Acupuncture.
“Acupuncture Treatment is Effective for Pain at the Start of Menstruation”
“Is it possible to improve menstrual pain with acupuncture and moxibustion treatment?”
30s Are a Transitional Period for Health
People in their thirties still have considerable physical reserves, and it is a stage of life when they can often push themselves beyond their limits. However, if such strain continues, it may eventually lead to serious illness. In this sense, the thirties can be regarded as a transitional period in health.
Pain and fatigue are signals from the body asking for rest. Ideally, when we feel symptoms, we should allow ourselves to rest. In reality, however, many people in this age group tend to push through fatigue by relying on mental determination.
Even when physical conditions are worsening, many people do not notice clear physical symptoms❷ and are therefore more likely to recognize mental or emotional distress instead. At the same time, care for physical symptoms tends to be neglected.
If this gap goes unnoticed and unaddressed, it may become a trigger for major illnesses in one’s forties or fifties. One of the most important steps in building a body that remains healthy is to reconsider one’s lifestyle. In particular, sleep, diet, and exercise are emphasized as key factors in Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare initiative, Health Japan 21.❼
In reality, many people in their twenties and thirties feel they do not have the time or capacity to review their lifestyle. This generation also has an overwhelmingly high rate of sleep deprivation.
I have written in more detail about the effects of insufficient sleep on the body in the blog post below, and I encourage you to take a look.
“Age 78 is the turning point of declining physical strength! ? After 70, daily activities and deep breathing are important to keep strength”
[References]
❶ Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions 2016
Central Social Insurance Medical Council (General Meeting No. 413)
Agenda Item Sō-3: Issues by Age Group and Generation (Part 2)
❷ Japanese Society of Ningen Dock and Preventive Medicine
National Data Analysis of Health Checkups, Fiscal Year 2018 (Basic Edition)
❸ Life Event Table
The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited
❺ Symptoms of Colorectal Cancer
National Cancer Center Japan
❻ At What Age Does the Incidence of Rectal Cancer Increase? Explanation of Screening and Examinations (Supervised by a Physician)
❼ Health Japan 21 (Third Term): Overview
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan