Making small changes to your lifestyle
can have a significant impact on how long you will
live, research has shown.
The Cambridge University study
looked at over 25,000 people.
It found that stopping smoking,
exercising more and eating better could give you
the life expectancy of a person 11 to 12 years younger.
The government is backing the research,
and launching an initiative to encourage people
to make small changes to improve their health.
The study, carried out in Norfolk,
is part of the European Prospective Investigation
and Nutrition (Epic) study, involving over half
a million people in 10 European countries.
The UK arm of the study is following
25,663 men and women aged between 45 and 79 years
old since 1993, looking at their diet, environment,
lifestyle and health.
The participants have regularly
filled in questionnaires about their diet, lifestyle
and health and had periodic check-ups from nurses.
These latest results from the study
showed eating five portions of fruit and vegetables
a day can give you the life expectancy of someone
three years younger.
Not smoking turned the clock back
by four to five years.
Even increasing exercise by a moderate
amount can take up to three years off.
But the amount of exercise someone
would need to do to achieve that depends on their
job.
An office worker would need to
do one hour of exercise, such as swimming or jogging,
every day, while a person with a moderately active
job, such as a hairdresser, would need to take 30
minutes exercise a day.
People with active jobs, including
nurses and bricklayers, do not need to do any extra
exercise - as their work is strenuous enough.
'Daunting prospect'
Professor Kay-Tee Khaw, who led
the study, said: "Many of us find it difficult to
change our usual lifestyle.
"However, there is increasing evidence
that even relatively small changes can make a big
difference to our health and well being."
Government ministers highlighted
the research as they launched an initiative called
Small Change Big Difference, aimed at showing people
how to improve their health by making small easily
available changed to lifestyle.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has vowed
to make lifestyle changes such as using the stairs
instead of the lift, visiting the gym more often
and boosting his intake of fruit and vegetables.
Public Health Minister Caroline
Flint said: "We all know that we should eat more
fruit and veg and get more exercise to improve our
health, but sometimes improving our own health can
be daunting.
"This is about showing people that
there are everyday, simple choices they can make
in their lives which will have a direct impact on
their health.
"Eating an extra piece of fruit
or walking up the stairs can help people add years
to their lives."
James Johnson, chairman of the
British Medical Association, said: "Today's campaign
is to be welcomed.
"But we would also like to see
funding questions urgently addressed if the agenda
is to make a sustained difference to the health
of our communities."
