An interesting study recently done by Harvard researchers and funded by the CDC looked at some of the top casues of 'preventable deaths'. What this means is that by reducing one behavior, thousands of deaths could have been prevented. This study is another stark example of the effects of diet and lifestyle choices on health. They are a matter of life and death!
Here are the top six in 2005:
1. Tobacco smoking 436,000 to 500,000 attributed preventable deaths
2. High blood pressure (372,000 to 414,000),
3. Obesity (188,000 to 237,000)
4. Physical inactivity (164,000 to 222,000)
5. High blood glucose (163,000 to 217,000)
6. High LDL cholesterol (94,000 to 124,000)
7. High salt intake (97,000 to 107,000)
8. Omega-3 deficiency (72,000-96,000)
It is staggering that of the top eight, six (arguably seven if you include high blood pressure) have to do with diet and exercise! By consitently making the right choices in your nutrition and increasing phycial activity, you can stop the stealing of years off your life!
One critique of the study is that is didn't look at vitamin D levels. If they had, I wouldn't be surpirsed if low levels had surpassed smoking as the top cause of preventable death.
Let those words sink in...Preventable Death, and make a commitment to change your life and make it longer and healthier!
Source: Public Library of Science Medicine Journal
Vol. 6, April, 2009
‘The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors’
Authors: Goodarz Danaei, Eric L Ding, Dariush Mozaffarian, Ben Taylor, Jurgen Rehm, Christopher J L Murray, Majid Ezzati
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