They've done it: discovered the secret to living a long life!
Actually, it's less of a discovery than an affirmation. For many years public health physicians and programs have encouraged the very same four recommendations for improving one's health and even life.
The four secrets -can we call them golden rules?- are easy enough: Stay slim. Eat well. Exercise. Don't smoke.
Not surprising, are they? What is especially interesting, however, is that we now have proof that these are indeed the secrets for long life. A study by the American Centres for Disease Control presented in August 2009 identified those four things as being in common for people with long lives.
Specifically, the CDC study looked at some 23,500 people aged 35 to 65 over eight years. Of the group, nine percent qualified for all four of the criteria over the full period of study. The study found that on average, doing all four things were 80 per cent less likely to develop chronic disease. Their likelihood of developing diabetes was reduced by 93 per cent; having a heart attack was less likely by 81 per cent; stroke by 50 per cent; and cancer by 36 per cent.
Of the four golden rules, the most important was found to be keeping slim, or more specifically, having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 30 (you are considered obese with a BMI over 30). Next came never having smoked, getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet, in that order.
Healthy eating and physical activity are inseparable. Exercise and diet together will help with the BMI, plus they combine to significantly improve overall health, and can we add, life?
Healthy eating is not the big mystery some may feel it is. The simplest place to start is also the best. Get a copy of the Canada Food Guide and understand what it says. In short the Guide encourages eating vegetables, fruit and fibre. It also does a good job with portioning food. Learn what a portion is, then combine the recommendations for all food groups into your daily meal planning.
Exercise can be a daily workout at the gym, or it can be a variety of physical activities during the day. For example, walking to work or school, or how about getting off the bus a few stops early? Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Add in gardening and dancing if you choose and you can be fit in no time. Whatever your choice of exercise, it should add up to 30 to 60 minutes per day, most days of the week.
We can consider one more secret to long life. Research from the University of Pittsburgh tells us that optimism is also good for your health! People who looked for the positives in life tended to be in better health than pessimists.
Stay slim. Eat well. Exercise. Don't smoke. (Be optimistic.) There, we're done.
Dr. Paul Martiquet is the Medical Health Officer for the Sea to Sky.
