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Your Health: Adopting four health behaviors could add 14 years to life
By Rallie McAllister, M.D.
People who adopt four key health behaviors—exercising regularly, drinking alcohol in moderation, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables daily and not smoking -- may end up earning a few bonus years of life.
A recent British study involving 20,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 79 demonstrated that adults who practice these four behaviors can reasonably expect to live an average of 14 years longer than those who do not.
At the start of the study, none of the participants had been diagnosed with cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Each participant completed a questionnaire that yielded a numeric health score between 0 and 4, with one point awarded for each positive health behavior.
After accounting for the effects of age, the researchers found that over a period of 11 years, individuals with a score of 0 -- those who practiced none of the key behaviors—were four times more likely to have died that those who scored a 4 on the questionnaire.
In addition, the researchers demonstrated that a person with a health score of 0 had the same risk of dying as someone 14 years older who had scored a 4 on the questionnaire.
The researchers’ findings lend credence to hundreds of previous studies demonstrating the health benefits of specific behaviors.
Exercising just half an hour a day five days a week, for example, has been shown to influence health in a number of positive ways.
In the short-term, regular exercise helps ward off feelings of depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance self-esteem.
It also boosts the protective powers of the immune system, making the body less vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
Folks who continue to exercise over the long haul reap even greater health benefits, reducing their risk for cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Regular aerobic activity lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels, dramatically reducing the risk for heart disease.
In spite of all the proven perks associated with physical activity, Americans are more sedentary than ever before in history.
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 22 percent of U.S. adults exercise on a regular basis.
The positive effects of exercise are closely rivaled by the benefits of eating a wholesome, plant-based diet.
Fruits and vegetables are chock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Over the last decade, scientists have identified hundreds of health-promoting phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables.
These natural substances are known to protect plants against a variety of toxins and illnesses, and they appear to have similar benefits in humans.
There’s little doubt that diets rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.
Most Americans are well aware of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, but that doesn’t seem to make getting the recommended five to nine servings a day any easier.
Minus potatoes, the average American consumes a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
According to the World Health Organization, low fruit and vegetable intake is among the top ten risk factors contributing to mortality.
For smokers, kicking the habit is one of the best ways to improve health and extend longevity.
Among middle-aged men and women, smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease and increases the risk of death from lung cancer at least tenfold.
It’s never too late to stop smoking, but the sooner the better.
Folks who kick the habit before the age of 50 have about half the risk of dying in the next 15 years than they would if they continued to smoke.
A growing body of scientific evidence supports the notion that moderate alcohol intake is associated with greater longevity than either abstaining or abusing alcohol.
Moderate consumption of alcohol—about one daily drink for women and two for men—has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 35 percent.
Most physicians agree that if you don’t currently drink alcohol, you probably shouldn’t start.
But you’d be hard-pressed to find a doctor who wouldn’t advise you to eat more fruits and vegetables, refrain from smoking, and spend a little more time and energy exercising.
Adopting these key behaviors will undoubtedly lead to better health, and it might even entitle you to a few bonus years of life.
Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is www.rallieonhealth.com. Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
A recent British study involving 20,000 men and women between the ages of 45 and 79 demonstrated that adults who practice these four behaviors can reasonably expect to live an average of 14 years longer than those who do not.
At the start of the study, none of the participants had been diagnosed with cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Each participant completed a questionnaire that yielded a numeric health score between 0 and 4, with one point awarded for each positive health behavior.
After accounting for the effects of age, the researchers found that over a period of 11 years, individuals with a score of 0 -- those who practiced none of the key behaviors—were four times more likely to have died that those who scored a 4 on the questionnaire.
In addition, the researchers demonstrated that a person with a health score of 0 had the same risk of dying as someone 14 years older who had scored a 4 on the questionnaire.
The researchers’ findings lend credence to hundreds of previous studies demonstrating the health benefits of specific behaviors.
Exercising just half an hour a day five days a week, for example, has been shown to influence health in a number of positive ways.
In the short-term, regular exercise helps ward off feelings of depression and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance self-esteem.
It also boosts the protective powers of the immune system, making the body less vulnerable to infections and illnesses.
Folks who continue to exercise over the long haul reap even greater health benefits, reducing their risk for cancer, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Regular aerobic activity lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels, dramatically reducing the risk for heart disease.
In spite of all the proven perks associated with physical activity, Americans are more sedentary than ever before in history.
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fewer than 22 percent of U.S. adults exercise on a regular basis.
The positive effects of exercise are closely rivaled by the benefits of eating a wholesome, plant-based diet.
Fruits and vegetables are chock full of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Over the last decade, scientists have identified hundreds of health-promoting phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables.
These natural substances are known to protect plants against a variety of toxins and illnesses, and they appear to have similar benefits in humans.
There’s little doubt that diets rich in fruits and vegetables help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease and cancer.
Most Americans are well aware of the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables, but that doesn’t seem to make getting the recommended five to nine servings a day any easier.
Minus potatoes, the average American consumes a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
According to the World Health Organization, low fruit and vegetable intake is among the top ten risk factors contributing to mortality.
For smokers, kicking the habit is one of the best ways to improve health and extend longevity.
Among middle-aged men and women, smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease and increases the risk of death from lung cancer at least tenfold.
It’s never too late to stop smoking, but the sooner the better.
Folks who kick the habit before the age of 50 have about half the risk of dying in the next 15 years than they would if they continued to smoke.
A growing body of scientific evidence supports the notion that moderate alcohol intake is associated with greater longevity than either abstaining or abusing alcohol.
Moderate consumption of alcohol—about one daily drink for women and two for men—has been shown to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by up to 35 percent.
Most physicians agree that if you don’t currently drink alcohol, you probably shouldn’t start.
But you’d be hard-pressed to find a doctor who wouldn’t advise you to eat more fruits and vegetables, refrain from smoking, and spend a little more time and energy exercising.
Adopting these key behaviors will undoubtedly lead to better health, and it might even entitle you to a few bonus years of life.
Rallie McAllister is a board-certified family physician, speaker and the author of several books, including “Healthy Lunchbox: The Working Mom’s Guide to Keeping You and Your Kids Trim.” Her Web site is www.rallieonhealth.com. Copyright 2008 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
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