4 Healthy Habits That Cut

Disease Risk
Study Shows People Who Follow 4 Habits Sharply Reduce Risk of Serious
Disease
Don't smoke. Get off the sofa and take a walk. Stay away from the junk food. W atch your
waistline.

Y o u m a y h a v e h e a r d th e a d v i c e b e fo r e . B u t d i d y o u
k n o w th a t i f y o u fo l l o w a l l fo u r o f th e s e h e a l th y h a b i ts
together, you could decrease your chances of
developing some of the most common and deadly
c hr onic dis ea s es b y near l y 8 0% ?

R e s e a r c h e r s r e p o r ti n g i n th i s m o n t h ' s A r c h i v e s o f
In te r n a l M e d i c i n e a n a l y z e d t h e h e a l th , l i fe s ty l e s , a n d
d i e t o f 2 3 ,5 1 3 G e r m a n a d u l ts 3 5 t o 6 5 y e a r s o l d ,
s ta r ti n g i n th e m i d - 1 9 9 0 s . T h e s tu d y s h o w e d th a t th o s e
who had more healthy habits were much less likely to
g e t d i s e a s e s s u c h a s c a n c e r , d i a b e te s , a n d h e a r t
dis eas e .

The analysis included a detailed look at each person's

b o d y w e i g h t a n d h e i g h t, d i s e a s e b a c k g r o u n d , fo o d
frequency, and how well they followed these four
healthy lifestyle habits over the eight-year study
per iod:

• Never smoked
• Exercised at least 3.5 hours per
week
• Maintained a body mass index (BMI) under 30
• Followed a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads, and limited
i n m e a ts

M o s t o f t h e p e o p l e i n th e s tu d y h a d a t l e a s t o n e h e a l th y h a b i t; o n l y 9 % s a i d t h e y f o l l o w e d a l l fo u r .

After adjusting for risk factors that might influence the development of disease, the researchers
l e a r n e d th a t t h o s e w h o fo l l o w e d a l l fo u r h e a l th y h a b i ts h a d a 7 8 % l o w e r r i s k o f d e v e l o p i n g a
chronic condition such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or cancer compared to those who
r e p o r te d n o n e o f t h e h e a l th y h a b i t s .

Specifically, in the study, all four of the healthy habits combined were linked to a:

• 9 3 % l o w e r r i s k o f t y p e 2 d i a b e te s
 • 8 1 % l o w e r r i s k o f h e a r t a tta c k
• 5 0 % l o w e r r i s k o f s tr o k e
• 36% lo w er r is k of c a nc er

R e s e a r c h e r s s a y i t' s i m p o r ta n t to a d o p t a n d te a c h h e a l th y h a b i ts e a r l y i n l i fe . T h e i r fi n d i n g s
"reinforce current public health recommendations to avoid smoking, to maintain a healthy weight,
to engage in physical activity appropriately and to eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables
and foods containing whole grains and to partake of red meat prudently," study author Earl S.
Ford, MD, MPH, of the CDC, and colleagues write.

The following habits may help you lower your risk of developing chronic diseases. They are listed
in order of largest to smallest impact on disease risk, as determined by the recent study.

1. Maintain a healthy weight. Your body mass index should be lower than 30.
2. Never smoke. (But if you already do, you should quit.)
3. Get at least 3.5 hours of exercise every week.
4. Follow a healthy diet. Ask your doctor for recommendations.

Compiled By: Dr.M.Kumaravel

SOURCES:
News release, American Medical Association.
Ford, E. Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009; vol 169: pp 1355-1362.