People who do not smoke, are not severely overweight, and consume only moderate amounts of alcohol have a life expectancy seven years higher than the average population.
They can also expect to spend most of these extra years in good health, according to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs.
Table of contents
1. Health and Retirement Study
For the study, Mikko Myrskylä, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, together with Neil Mehta, Professor of Health Management and Policy at the University of Michigan, USA, evaluated data from more than 14,000 US citizens .
They found that people who have never smoked and have never been overweight live four to five years longer than the average population and that they experience these additional years without physical impairments .
The results of the analysis further showed that people with moderate alcohol consumption live an average seven years longer than the average population. Their life expectancy even exceeds the average life expectancy in Japan, a country considered a leader in longevity.
"Improvements in medicine are often seen as the key to healthier and longer lives. We have shown that a healthy lifestyle that costs nothing is enough to enjoy a very long and healthy life ," said Myrskylä.
He added: "A moderately healthy lifestyle is enough to enjoy this. Avoiding obesity, not smoking , and consuming alcohol only in moderation are not unrealistic goals."
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2. Several behaviors reinforce each other
This study is the first to analyze the cumulative effects of several health-related behaviors on both overall life expectancy and life expectancy without physical limitations.
Previous studies had only examined individual health-related factors. Myrskylä and his colleague, however, looked at several behaviors simultaneously. This allowed them to determine precisely how long and in what health status people who avoided most of the known risk factors in their lives live.
The most striking difference was the average life expectancy between the highest-risk and lowest-risk groups.
Men who have never been overweight , never smoked , and drink moderately live an average of 11 years longer than men who engage in these unhealthy behaviors. For women, the difference between the two groups is even greater, at 12 years .
3. Smoking and obesity affect health in old age
The researchers found that each of the three unhealthy behaviors studied—obesity, smoking, and non-moderate alcohol consumption—was associated with a reduction in life expectancy and an earlier onset of physical impairment.
But there were also differences: Regarding smoking , the researchers found that although it was associated with an earlier death , it did not increase the number of years during which those affected were physically impaired .
This is different with obesity: Those who are overweight must expect to be physically limited for a longer period of their lives. High alcohol consumption is also associated with a reduced number of healthy years.
"The most positive result is that the number of years we have to live with physical limitations is not increasing, while the period in which we are physically fit is constantly expanding.
In other words: The years we gain through a healthy lifestyle are years of life in which we are healthy ," says Mikko Myrskylä.
"Our results demonstrate the importance of focusing on prevention ," the researcher emphasizes. "Those who avoid these health-risk behaviors can live very long and healthy lives.
Effective public health measures could help larger segments of the population enjoy the benefits we observed in the study."
4. Data collection
The researchers used data from a long-term study in the USA, the so-called Health and Retirement Study, in which more than 14,000 people aged 50 to 89 participated between 1998 and 2012. The participants were surveyed about their health and behavior every two years.
Those who reported no limitations in activities of daily living (walking, dressing, bathing, getting out of bed, or eating) were classified as free of physical limitations. Participants who had a body mass index of less than 30 were classified as not overweight.
Those who had smoked fewer than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime were classified as non-smokers. Men who consumed fewer than 14 alcoholic drinks per week and women who consumed fewer than seven alcoholic drinks over the same period were classified as moderate drinkers.
The researchers analyzed at what age the individual participants became physically frailer, how long they lived with this impairment, and what their life expectancy was.
In a second step, the researchers compared these results with data from the general population and with data from individuals with particularly risky behaviors.
Author: Dr. Akuma Saningong
Akuma Saningong holds a doctorate in natural sciences with a focus on biochemistry. He has worked in both research and industry. He currently works as a professional speaker and motivational trainer. He has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Africans in Germany.
Website: www.drsaningong.com/de
Facebook: www.fb.com/drakumasaningong
IG: @drakumasaningong
5. Sources
1. Neil Mehta and Mikko Myrskylä: The Population Health Benefits Of A Healthy Lifestyle: Life Expectancy Increased And Onset Of Disability Delayed, HEALTH AFFAIRS 36, NO. 8 (2017), doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2016.1569 Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
2. http://www.vbio.de/informationen/alle_news/e17162
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