Age 12 More Years Just Through Through Bad Habits

By:


Recent research on healthy aging shows that poor habits such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, inactivity and poor diet, can age you by 12 extra years. The findings are from a recent study that tracked nearly 5,000 British adults for 20 years, aged 18 and older and 44 years old on average, and they highlight yet another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Overall, 314 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 91 died during the study, or 29%. Among the 387 healthiest people with none of the 4 habits, only 32 died, or about 8%. Bad habits are said to include: smoking tobacco, drinking in excess of three alcoholic drinks daily for men, 2 for women, engaging in less than 2 hours of physical activity per week, and consuming fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily. These cumulative habits substantially increased the risk of death and made people in this group seem twelve years older than people in the healthiest group. The most common causes of death in the study included heart disease and cancer, both believed to be related to unhealthy lifestyles. The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The healthy group included individuals who did not meet the criterion for bad habits.

It should be possible for most people to manage abiding by the healthy test groups habits, and further, each step in this direction reaps rewards of better health. The federal government generally recommends at least 4 cups of fruits or vegetables daily for adults, depending on age and activity level; and about 2 1/2 hours of exercise weekly, which equates to thirty minutes daily five days a week.

In a separate US study, no progress appears to be being made with respect to changing bad habits. The rates at which Americans take part in exercise remains unchanged since 1997. We are a long way from where the health experts want us to be with respect to smoking. Overall, about 66% of adults in the USA are either overweight or obese. About one-third of people are in the obese category, meaning they have a body mass index of 30 or greater. In yet another AmericanUS study, extremely obese people, those who are eithy or more pounds overweight, live 3-12 fewer years than their normal-weight peers.


About the Author:
Find a wealth of info at Jersey Shore Regional Center for Vertigo, Dizziness, Dystonia and ADD ADHD. Visit Dr. Scopellitis Guestbook to see what patients say. Dr. Scopelliti is board certified in Neurology and Vestibular Rehabilitation and is an author/lecturer of postdoctoral neurology. Specialties: vertigo, dizziness, imbalance, presyncope, dystonia, ADD ADHD, coma & neurologic/behavioral/cognitive disorders.



Article Originally Published On: http://www.articlesnatch.com


|

Loading...
Related....
Videos...

Recent Health Articles

Comments

Still can't find what you are looking for? Search for it!

Loading

Copyright 2005-2011 ArticleSnatch, LLC - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.