Risks of unhealthy lifestyle
Tuesday April 27th, 2010
Being "unhealthy" in almost every way possible cuts your life by 12 years and trebles your risk of dying from heart disease or cancer, researchers reported last night.
A new study looks at the effects of combining smoking with poor diet, inactivity and alcohol.
The Norwegian researchers said they wanted to study the impact of living a totally "unhealthy" life, which ignores all health warnings.
The research, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involved nearly 5,000 people who were interviewed in the mid 1980s when they were young adults.
British campaigners said people who were unhealthy in all four ways might struggle to improve every area at once.
Ellie Mason, a nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said: "Improving your lifestyle choices one by one, rather than trying to do them all at once, is an easier way to improve your chances of avoiding these illnesses.
"Whatever age you really are, dropping bad habits could reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and an early death."
Researcher Dr Elisabeth Kvaavik, of the University of Oslo, Norway, said: "Modest but achievable adjustments to lifestyle behaviours are likely to have a considerable impact at both the individual and population level."
Arch Intern Med. 2010;170[8]:711-718
Tags: Cancer | Diet & Food | Drug and Alcohol Abuse | Europe | Fitness | Heart Health | UK News
Printer friendly page