I think there is definitely a correlation. Think about it, people lose their sex drives, sex appeal, etc. They become physically and mentally less sexual beings so it would make sense that they rationalize it with "not knowing what they are". Mix in hygiene standards and what we are able to do with medicine and surgery today and - voila! You have a booming trans industry going.  That's exactly when the fitness industry (in both terms of bullshit food products to bullshit exercise machines, etc.)  began to boom, in the mid/late 80s when people started to become really fat and out of shape. The demand was there and people wanted a quick fix. This is the same thing except here, people are permanently sterilizing themselves and their children, this is why I'm really against it. Like you said, there was always a tiny fraction of the population that had these issues, but that should have stayed low-key. Now everyone is jumping on the "trans bandwagon" to rationalize their shitty, self-destructive lifestyles. It's a pity they are getting mixed together because those real dysphoric people will never be taken seriously anymore.