A healthy lifestyle can add over 20 years to a person’s life, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The study, presented at the Nutrition 2023 conference in Boston, found that women with healthy habits can live up to 22.6 years longer, while men can live up to 23.7 years longer. The study was based on health data from over 700,000 US veterans aged 40 to 99 years old, collected as part of the Million Veteran Program. The program aims to investigate how lifestyle and genetics affect health and life expectancy.
The study identified eight key factors that are crucial for a long and healthy life. These include not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, good sleep habits, stress management, and social interaction. The study found that even small changes in these factors can have a significant impact on life expectancy. The study also found that a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of cancer, with factors such as alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, and smoking listed as risk indicators by the World Health Organization.
However, the study also identified three major risk factors that can significantly reduce life expectancy: lack of physical activity, opioid use, and smoking. These factors were found to increase the risk of death by 30 to 45 percent. The study also found that inadequate stress management, excessive alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, and poor sleep habits can increase the risk of death by around 20 percent, while a lack of social interaction can increase the risk by around five percent. The study highlights the importance of adopting a healthy lifestyle, even in later life, as small changes can still have a positive impact on health and life expectancy.
In conclusion, the study emphasizes the importance of a healthy lifestyle in promoting longevity and reducing the risk of disease. The eight key factors identified by the study provide a useful guide for individuals looking to improve their health and life expectancy. While the study acknowledges that other factors, such as education level and gut bacteria, can also affect life expectancy, it highlights the importance of addressing the major risk factors identified in the study. By adopting a healthy lifestyle, individuals can significantly improve their chances of living a long and healthy life.
