4 Bad Habits Can Age You
by 12 Years
Sober up and get fit, research suggests
Four common bad habits combined—smoking, drinking too
much, inactivity and poor diet—can age you by 12 years,
sobering new research suggests.
The findings are from a study that tracked nearly 5,000
British adults for 20 years, 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 four
habits, only 32 died, or about 8%.
The risky behaviors were: smoking tobacco; downing more
than three alcoholic drinks per day for men and more than
two daily for women; getting less than two hours of
physical activity per wee; and eating fruits and
vegetables fewer than three times daily.
These habits combined, substantially increased the risk of
death and made people who engaged in them seem 12 years
older than people in the healthiest group, said lead
researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the University of Oslo.
The study appears in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The healthiest group included never-smokers and those who
had quit; teetotalers, women who had fewer than two drinks
daily and men who had fewer than three; those who got at
least two hours of physical activity weekly; and those who
ate fruits and vegetables at least three times daily.
“You don’t need to be extreme” to be in the healthy
category, Kvaavik said. “These behaviors add up, so
together it’s quite possible for most people to manage to
do it.”
For example, one carrot, one apple and a glass of orange
juice would suffice for the fruit and vegetables cutoffs
in the study Kvaavik said, noting that the amounts are
pretty modest and less strict than many guidelines.
The U.S. government generally recommends at least 4 cups
of fruits or vegetables daily for adults, depending on age
and activity level; and about 2½ hours of exercise weekly.
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