Jul 27 2009
New Study: Following a Healthy Lifestyle is on the Decline in the US

Lifestyle choices play a major role in our physical, mental and emotional health. Poor lifestyle choices will lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and a suite of other health issues.
Decision processing becomes sluggish as poor health leads to a more sedentary lifestyle. Which will then lead to reduced blood flow to the brain, thus affecting your entire body.
Performance at work, school and in the home becomes mediocre as health issues begin to consume time and finances. Self-esteem and confidence suffer, and affect even otherwise healthy relationships.
Despite the consequences of not living healthy, the number of middle aged adults in America who are obese has risen from 28% to 36% over the last 18 years, according to a recent study in the American Journal of Medicine. The study compared five lifestyle factors of a group of 7,340 middle-aged (40-74 year old) adults from 1988-1994 to a group of 7,811 middle-aged adults from 2001-2006.

5 Healthy Lifestyle Habits
- Physical activity at least 12 times per month
- Consumption of 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily
- Maintenance of a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 29.9)
- Moderate alcohol use, if any at all
- Not smoking
What the researchers from Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston found was that there was a 10% drop from the 1998-1994 to the 2001-2006 group in the number of middle-aged persons who undertook physical activity 12 or more times per month, and an 8% increase in obesity for the same group.
Despite the fact that tobacco use increases cancer risk, the percent of the population that smokes did not change in the seven year interval between the groups. Even while “health kicks” are on the rise, the number of people consuming five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day has dropped from 42% to 26%.
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