It is no secret that our habits and behavior can have a large impact on our health. Now, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that our lifestyle behaviors can predict lifespan too.


The study looked at four healthy behaviors - not smoking, eating a healthy diet, limiting alcohol, and getting regular physical activity - and found that people who followed all four habits were 63 percent less likely to die early when compared to those who didn't follow any of these healthy habits. In fact, the most protection from dying early was exhibited in the habit of not smoking.



"If you want to lead a longer life and feel better, you should adopt healthy behaviors - not smoking, getting regular physical activity, eating healthy, and avoiding excessive alcohol use," explained CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H.



Besides all-cause mortality, the study also took into account specific causes of death. Specifically, the study found that people who practiced all four healthy behaviors "were 66 percent less likely to die early from cancer, 65 percent less likely to die early from cardiovascular disease, and 57 percent less likely to die early from other causes," when compared to those who followed none of the healthy habits studied.



The study was published today online on the American Journal of Public Health and is titled "Low Risk Behaviors and All-Cause Mortality: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study."



Data from the CDC's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III Mortality Study was analyzed by the researchers. As a follow-up to the NHANES III, survey participants ages 17 and older were recruited between 1988 to 1994 and followed through 2006. Among the study participants, "47.5 percent had never smoked, 51 percent were moderate drinkers, 39.3 percent had a healthy diet, and 40.2 percent were adequately physically active." There was no significant difference in healthy behaviors between genders; Mexican-Americans had more healthy behaviors compared to whites and African-Americans.



The bottom line is simple: the more healthy habits you follow, the more you protect your body from degradation and disease. However, the authors discussed the challenges of encouraging large numbers of the population in adopting healthy habits. Despite studies showing that only a small fraction of people practice all of the above healthy behaviors, a respectable amount of progress has been observed in the decreased rate of smokers. Without a doubt, this study is a beacon of hope for the general public and emphasizes the role of cooperation between the clinical a public health industries in promoting a larger adoption of healthy behaviors.