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Dramatic Positive Impact of Lifestyle Changes on Health

What is Optimal Health? The World Health Organization gave the following definition OVER 60 YEARS AGO: “Optimal health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being.” Unfortunately, in this day and age when most of us try to squeeze 30 hours into a 24 hour day, we find ourselves exhausted, frustrated, and demoralized. Instead of nourishing our bodies in this time of need, we add fuel to the fire with our poor diet, sedentary lifestyle, and many other destructive behaviors. In return, we as a society continue to pay for our self neglect as obesity rates are on the rise and more and more of us suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. It is time to make a change. The following will serve as validation for those of you already working towards achieving optimum health; and for those still skeptical, this will hopefully provide some incentive for change.

The EPIC-Norfolk Prospective Population Study by Kay-Tee Khaw published in the January 2008 issue of the PLoS Medicine Journal (Public Library of Science Medicine) studied the combined impact of health behaviors and mortality in men and women. The study included about 20,000 men and women aged 45-79 with no known cancer or cardiovascular disease, monitored over an average period of 11 years. Each participant, after completing a medical questionnaire, examination, and appropriate labs, received a score between 0 and 4. One point was given for each of the following healthy behaviors: current non-smoker, not physically inactive (where physical inactivity was defined as a sedentary job and no recreational exercise), moderate alcohol intake (defined as 1-14 units a week; a unit of alcohol is half a pint of beer, a glass of wine, or a shot of spirit), and a blood Vitamin C level corresponding to the intake of at least five servings a day of fruits and vegetables. The study found that, “Four health behaviors combined predict a 4-fold difference in total mortality in men and women, with an estimated impact equivalent to 14 years in chronological age.” In other words, “people with a health behavior score of 0 were four times as likely to have died than those with a score of 4; and people with a score of 2 were twice as likely to have died.” The study further showed that even people who already had chronic diseases benefited from a healthier lifestyle and diet.

This study is just one of many that demonstrates how lifestyle changes can have a dramatic impact on our health. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of combining healthy behaviors to achieve the greatest benefit. The unmistakable message is that health must be comprehensive. There is a saying that “it is not the years in your life but the life in your years that counts.” At Exsalus Health & Wellness Center, we say make them both count by adding years to your life as you enjoy the health and happiness you deserve!

Sources:

1) Khaw KT, Wareham N, Bingham S, Welch A, Luben R, Day N. Combined impact of health behaviours and mortality in men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study. PLoS Med. 2008 Jan 8;5(1):e12.

2)John McDougall, MD “The McDougall Newsletter”

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