Study after study reminds us that as challenging as it can be, sticking with healthy habits—eating right, exercising regularly, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, and controlling how much alcohol you drink—can help us to live longer. But tacking on extra years isn’t so appealing if some or most of them are riddled with heart disease, diabetes or cancer.
In a 2018 study, an international group of researchers led by scientists at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that adopting five healthy habits could extend life expectancy by 14 years for women and by 12 years for men:
- eating a diet high in plants and low in fats
- exercising at a moderate to vigorous level for several hours a week
- maintaining a healthy body weight
- not smoking
- consuming no more than one alcoholic drink a day for women and two for men
