Life expectancy is influenced not only by the traditional lifestyle-related risk factors but also by factors related to a person’s quality of life, such as heavy stress.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare has shown that smoking and diabetes are the primary causes of a shorter life expectancy for 30-year-old men. Smoking takes away 6.6 years and diabetes takes away 6.5 years from their life expectancy. Heavy stress also shortens their life expectancy by 2.8 years. Shocking, right?
Key Findings
- Smoking and diabetes are the primary causes of a shorter life expectancy for 30-year-old men.
- Heavy stress also shortens their life expectancy by 2.8 years.
- There are some lifestyle choices that can actually increase your life expectancy, such as eating fruits and vegetables, and exercising regularly.
Recommendations
- To increase your life expectancy, it is important to make positive lifestyle choices, such as:
- Eating a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables.
- Exercising regularly.
- Avoiding smoking and heavy alcohol use.
- Managing stress in a healthy way.
For 30-year-old men, a lack of exercise can reduce their life expectancy by 2.4 years. But don’t worry, there are some lifestyle choices that can actually increase your life expectancy. For example, eating fruits can increase your life expectancy by 1.4 years, and eating vegetables can increase it by 0.9 years.
These factors also affect the life expectancy of women. For 30-year-old women, smoking shortens their life expectancy by 5.5 years, diabetes by 5.3 years, and heavy stress by 2.3 years.
The good news is that you can take control of your life expectancy by making positive lifestyle choices. If you want to live longer, it’s important to exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables, and avoid smoking and heavy alcohol use.
Interestingly, the study found that having a moderate amount of stress can actually increase your life expectancy. So, if you’re feeling stressed, it’s important to manage it in a healthy way.
It’s also important to note that the differences between the life expectancies of men and women are largely due to factors that can be changed. Women tend to have healthier lifestyles than men, which is why their life expectancies are typically longer.
To improve the life expectancy of the whole population, we need to focus on helping those with a lower level of education and men make better lifestyle choices. Small changes can make a big difference in the long run.
Conclusion
Your lifestyle choices play a significant role in determining how long you will live. By making positive choices and avoiding negative ones, you can increase your life expectancy and live a healthier, happier life.