Study: Following 5 habits extends lifespan 12-14 years on average

[clapclapclap 9,000]

The news is mixed for fans of olive loaf.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/apr/30/the-five-habits-that-can-add-more-than-a-decade-to-your-life

People who stick to five healthy habits in adulthood can add more than a decade to their lives, according to a major study into the impact behaviour has on lifespan.

Researchers at Harvard University used lifestyle questionnaires and medical records from 123,000 volunteers to understand how much longer people lived if they followed a healthy diet, controlled their weight, took regular exercise, drank in moderation and did not smoke.

When the scientists calculated average life expectancy, they noticed a dramatic effect from the healthy habits. Compared with people who adopted none of them, men and women who adhered to all five saw their life expectancy at 50 rise from 26 to 38 years and 29 to 43 years respectively, or an extra 12 years for men and 14 for women.

“When we embarked on this study, I thought, of course, that people who adopted these habits would live longer. But the surprising thing was how huge the effect was,” said Meir Stampfer, a co-author on the study and professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.

The researchers performed the analysis in the hope of understanding why the US, which spends more on healthcare as a proportion of GDP than any other nation, ranks 31st in the world for life expectancy at birth. According to the World Health Organization, life expectancy at birth in 2015 was 76.9 and 81.6 years old for US men and women respectively. The equivalent figures for Britain are very similar at 79.4 and 83 years old.

The study, published in the journal Circulation, suggests poor lifestyle is a major factor that cuts American lives short. Only 8% of the general population followed all five healthy habits. The research focused on the US population, but Stampfer said the findings applied to the UK and much of the western world.

The five healthy habits were defined as not smoking; having a body mass index between 18.5 and 25; taking at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, having no more than one 150ml glass of wine a day for women, or two for men; and having a diet rich in items such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains and low in red meat, saturated fats and sugar.

Men and women who had such healthy lives were 82% less likely to die of heart disease and 65% less likely to die of cancer compared with those with the least healthy lifestyles, over the roughly 30 years of the study.

Given that the habits of a healthy lifestyle are well known, the mystery is why we are so bad at adopting them, said Stampfer. Part of the problem is that many people struggle to give up smoking, and the continuous peddling of unhealthy food, as well as poor urban planning, which can make it hard for people to exercise, also feed in, he said.

“I do think people need to step up and take some personal responsibility, but as a society we need to make it easier for people to do that,” he said. “People can get stuck in a rut and think it’s too late to change their ways, but what we find is that when people do change their ways, we see remarkable benefits.”

Edited April 30, 2018 by clapclapclap

[South Austin 52,515]

Well, it limits the wine consumption but says nothing about bourbon, so I'm going to start thinking about what to do with an extra ten years of life.

[crash_davis 23,113]

tldr; eat healthy, exercise, and don't be fat.

 

funny how over the last 20 years, many different studies say the same got damned thing.  and yet obesity rises.  fucking idiots.

[Doc Holliday 199]

and what about whiskey, cigars, sex, music, money, blah, blah, blah?!

[Aqua Buddha 14,598]

To take this further, I have a friend who is a neurologist and he's done a lot of studies around these markers and their effect on the brain.  Variations of these same five markers (weight, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol) will lead to a 50% chance of dementia at only 65 years of age due to damage to the physical brain.  What surprised him is the effects can't be reversed but only mitigated.  If you get all those markers under control in your 50's, for example, a certain amount of damage has already been done.

So, in short, if you're fat, you'll not only live a shorter life but those last few years will be very hard.

[crash_davis 23,113]

Just now, Aqua Buddha said:

So, in short, if you're fat, you'll not only live a shorter life but those last few years will be very hard.

can't be harder than walking up the stairs or saying no to the double meat.

[SimonBolivar 10,958]

5 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

tldr; eat healthy, exercise, and don't be fat.

 

funny how over the last 20 years, many different studies say the same got damned thing.  and yet obesity rises.  fucking idiots.

Wait a  goddam second...are you trying to tell me that you don't think we should be selling Little Debbies to kids at school? Fucking communist

[DigglerontheHoof 21,202]

that's some earth-shattering shit, right there. 

[Aqua Buddha 14,598]

Also, I'd add something else.  If you want to be the guy (or gal) that looks younger than your age, don't be fat.  You know those people who you're surprised when you learn how old they are?  They're always thin.

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,819]

Just now, DigglerontheHoof said:

that's some earth-shattering shit, right there. 

Yeah.  You wanna die, or you wanna live?  Or you wanna die while living?  Go crawl in a closet and don’t do anything.  

[crash_davis 23,113]

4 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Also, I'd add something else.  If you want to be the guy (or gal) that looks younger than your age, don't be fat.  You know those people who you're surprised when you learn how old they are?  They're always thin.

i remember my 20 year high school reunion.  i kept getting the same compliment, "wow, you look the same." i then realized what it meant, i didn't get fat like almost every other motherfucker there.  i didn't recognize half the people there.  

[troph 24,810]

the problem is inertia.  it's hard to be active when you aren't.  it's hard to avoid sugar when you aren't.  it's hard to be fit when you aren't. it's hard to quit smoking when you smoke. 

[S11 16]

 

15 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

To take this further, I have a friend who is a neurologist and he's done a lot of studies around these markers and their effect on the brain.  Variations of these same five markers (weight, blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, and cholesterol) will lead to a 50% chance of dementia at only 65 years of age due to damage to the physical brain.  What surprised him is the effects can't be reversed but only mitigated.  If you get all those markers under control in your 50's, for example, a certain amount of damage has already been done.

So, in short, if you're fat, you'll not only live a shorter life but those last few years will be very hard.

Makes sense

Edited April 30, 2018 by S11

[Doc Holliday 199]

2 minutes ago, troph said:

the problem is inertia.  it's hard to be active when you aren't.  it's hard to avoid sugar when you aren't.  it's hard to be fit when you aren't. it's hard to quit smoking when you smoke. 

inertia is hard when you have a large body of mass trying to stop too.  It's how you break, tear, and injure things.   stop, drop and roll should only apply to fire drills.

[clapclapclap 9,000]

10 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

i remember my 20 year high school reunion.  i kept getting the same compliment, "wow, you look the same." i then realized what it meant, i didn't get fat like almost every other motherfucker there.  

6.  Don't boink your own mom.

[DaysOff 7,951]

Lolz @ a diet rich in whole grains. Eat like a hunter gatherer. The rest is common sense. 

[crash_davis 23,113]

11 minutes ago, troph said:

the problem is inertia.  it's hard to be active when you aren't.  it's hard to avoid sugar when you aren't.  it's hard to be fit when you aren't. it's hard to quit smoking when you smoke. 

a man doesn't go to sleep weighing 170 and wake up weight 280.  that's a shitton of days and repeated poor decisions to get there.

[South Austin 52,515]

Speaking of obesity, the Longhorn Spring Game was a reminder that even in a relatively fit city like Austin, we have our fair share of fatties.  There were a lot of large people in the stands, and it was no coincidence that most of them were sucking down nachos and extra large sodas. 

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

The last 10 years are the shitty years anyway, right?

[Dr. Teeth 5,845]

15 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Speaking of obesity, the Longhorn Spring Game was a reminder that even in a relatively fit city like Austin, we have our fair share of fatties.  There were a lot of large people in the stands, and it was no coincidence that most of them were sucking down nachos and extra large sodas. 

They make it seem like we had more people at the game, so good for them.

[Knoxtnhorn 5,990]

What about boobs?  Aren’t we also supposed to be staring at boobs?

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,515]

1 hour ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Also, I'd add something else.  If you want to be the guy (or gal) that looks younger than your age, don't be fat.  You know those people who you're surprised when you learn how old they are?  They're always thin.

But if your body fat gets too low, you can look older than you are. I’m not saying that you should get fat but the other extreme doesn’t make you look young. 

[High Plains Drifter 11,050]

To quote Josey Wales: "Dying ain't much of a living."

No more than 1 glass of wine a day? Sounds like living ain't much of a living either.

[DanRydell 799]

I can’t say I particularly want to live until 88. 76 would be plenty.

[Liquor and Poker 3,659]

When you're 30 and you read these studies you say "Fuck, who wants to live an extra 12 years like that?  It's like doing time."

When you're 40 and you read these studies you say "Maybe I should consider that sometime soon."

When you're 50 and you read these studies you say "Shit - I better get my heath squared away."

When you're 60 and you read these studies you say "Fuck - too late for me. No point now."

[Cheeseweasel 26,438]

1 hour ago, Knoxtnhorn said:

What about boobs?  Aren’t we also supposed to be staring at boobs?

It's like looking at the sun. You don't stare at it. It's too risky. Ya get a sense of it and then you look away.

[HOOKEM4 5,037]

Joke on you mr scientist, I have been dead on the inside for years.

[RollLeft 5,045]

3 hours ago, crash_davis said:

i remember my 20 year high school reunion.  i kept getting the same compliment, "wow, you look the same." i then realized what it meant, i didn't get fat like almost every other motherfucker there.  i didn't recognize half the people there.  

So you have always been fat?  

[XYZ 2,154]

4 hours ago, DaysOff said:

Lolz @ a diet rich in whole grains. Eat like a hunter gatherer. The rest is common sense. 

This. Meat and vegetables. I also question the notion that eating plenty of fruit is good for you. For a bazillion years, fruit was seldom available.

[Neonmoon 38,129]

No smoking : lowers chance of cancer 

BMI  between 18-25 : this eliminates heart disease, diabetes, and a bunch of other shit. 

Exercise 30 minutes a day: elevates blood flow which helps everything 

No more than a glass of wine per day: alcohol alleviates stress in moderation 

Eat fruit, veg, & whole grain: elimates red meat

 

Was this created by Captain Obvious? 

 

Although I disagree on the food section. Red meat is not bad for you. Processed red meat is bad for you. 

 

 

[RDCanecutter 26,446]

How bout if I drank 4 glasses of wine a night, but I do it in a bar 30 minutes walk from my house?

[Upgrayedd 5,813]

Masturbation counts as exercise, right?

[gsoda3 3,262]

5 hours ago, crash_davis said:

funny how over the last 20 years, many different studies say the same got damned thing.  and yet obesity rises.  fucking idiots.

sugar's been a constant.

[GhostRider 169]

2 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

HFCS's been a constant.

Fixed.

[XYZ 2,154]

HFCS and sugar are essentially the same.

[Sbbruin 21,858]

4 hours ago, South Austin said:

Speaking of obesity, the Longhorn Spring Game was a reminder that even in a relatively fit city like Austin, we have our fair share of fatties.  There were a lot of large people in the stands, and it was no coincidence that most of them were sucking down nachos and extra large sodas. 

I went to the OU-Georgia Rose Bowl game, and the average BMI of their respective fan bases had to be close to eleventy billion.  It was truly remarkable.  And you can see how the ones who were even moderately non-obese, like BMI's around 30, seemed all fit and trim in comparison.  And I think that moves the needle towards obesity because what was considered obese in the 70's and 80's is considered only slightly overweight today.

[Elvis Presto 21]

if i cant eat steaks and drink wine then i may as well just forfeit the extra 10 years.  

[Bigbend1812 12,918]

5 hours ago, SimonBolivar said:

Wait a  goddam second...are you trying to tell me that you don't think we should be selling Little Debbies to kids at school? Fucking communist

Yes. He wants them to be given away for free. 

[Bullneck 19,107]

6 hours ago, crash_davis said:

tldr; eat healthy, exercise, and don't be fat.

 

funny how over the last 20 years, many different studies say the same got damned thing.  and yet obesity rises.  fucking idiots.

Food in the U.S. has changed a lot in the last 50 years.  

Edited April 30, 2018 by Bullneck

[Larry T. Spider 1,746]

2 hours ago, XYZ said:

This. Meat and vegetables. I also question the notion that eating plenty of fruit is good for you. For a bazillion years, fruit was seldom available.

Maybe people would have lived longer if they had fruit during that time. I hope not because I hate fruit.

[T-shirt Sip 2,105]

They forgot #6. Don't get hit by a bus. 

[Aqua Buddha 14,598]

13 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

I went to the OU-Georgia Rose Bowl game, and the average BMI of their respective fan bases had to be close to eleventy billion.  It was truly remarkable.  And you can see how the ones who were even moderately non-obese, like BMI's around 30, seemed all fit and trim in comparison.  And I think that moves the needle towards obesity because what was considered obese in the 70's and 80's is considered only slightly overweight today.

Lot of truth to this, too.  Small town types tend to be fat and you'll see women there who wear capri pants and sandals think they're thin because they're only a size 12 compared to their size 18 friends.

 

[phdhorn 6,224]

Most people are overweight, or fat.

$9.95

[Guest]

What does the study say about owning pit bulls? Asking for a fellow poster. 

Also, about dipping?  Asking for me. 

[SimonBolivar 10,958]

20 hours ago, Bullneck said:

Food in the U.S. has changed a lot in the last 50 years.  

Yep cook damn it cook.

 

Read your labels and make things yourselves.

Edited May 1, 2018 by SimonBolivar

[Pato del Muerto 52,507]

Hard pass. How great are the last 15 years of my life going to be anyway?

[Biff Tannen 45,691]

Quote

The five healthy habits were defined as not smoking; having a body mass index between 18.5 and 25; taking at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, having no more than one 150ml glass of wine a day for women, or two for men; and having a diet rich in items such as fruit, vegetables and whole grains and low in red meat, saturated fats and sugar.

[El Diablo 4,232]

On 4/30/2018 at 5:03 PM, XYZ said:

This. Meat and vegetables. I also question the notion that eating plenty of fruit is good for you. For a bazillion years, fruit was seldom available.

I blame that on HEB not being open.

[Guest]

Be honest.

Don't let people get away with their bullshit.

Fuck their feelings.  If they had an ounce of self-respect, they wouldn't act that way in the first place.

[South Austin 52,515]

7 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Hard pass. How great are the last 15 years of my life going to be anyway?

Pretty bad from age 45-60 if you're a diabetic fatass.