Healthy Living Increases Your Lifespan by 10 years: Study

Individuals who lead a lifestyle that involves eating healthy food, regular physical activity and no smoking and drinking tend to live a decade longer, finds a study.

Time and again people with unhealthy behaviors like smoking, drinking, eating too much fatty food and remaining physically inactive are reminded to amend their life style to avoid diseases like cancer, cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes and obesity. Experts from the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Zurich discovered another reason for following healthy lifestyle habits. They found people who drink, smoke, over-eat junk food and never exercise have 2.5 times increased risk for mortality.

The study examined records from the Swiss National Cohort involving 16,721 participants aged between 16 and 90 to note their likelihood for developing heart diseases and cancer. The subjects' body weight, blood pressure readings, tobacco use, physical activity levels and frequency of consumption of healthy food, fruits and alcohol were considered to assess their overall life expectancy. It was observed each lifestyle habit had a direct effect on the participant's lifespan. Heavy smokers were 57 percent more likely to die young while, alcohol abuse and sedentary behaviors were associated with 15 percent higher mortality risk.

Those who ardently followed healthy lifestyle lived 10 years longer than their unhealthy peers.

"A healthy lifestyle can help you stay ten years' younger," said Eva Martin-Diener, study author and researchers from the University of Zurich in a news release.

In addition, the authors believe the age factor also influences vulnerability rate for diseases and premature death in people having habits that are injurious to health. Adults aged between 45 and 55 who lack control over drinking and smoking have lesser health impacts than those who are in their 60's or 70's.

These findings emphasize on the need to check behaviors and lifestyle of people to curb the incidence of deadly diseases and illnesses.

"In future, doctors will be able to refer to the easily comprehensible charts when giving health counseling to their patients in primary car. Furthermore, they may also be important for the political discussions of prevention strategies for NCDs," said Eva Martin-Diener.