Research continues to reveal that by far the largest determinant of our state of health is lifestyle choices and environment. Isn’t that tremendous news? It reveals that we largely have the power to determine whether we will be chronically healthy or chronically sick during our lifetime! Below is just a small sampling of research discussing this topic.
“Participants with all 4 factors (current not smoking, not physically inactive, moderate alcohol use, and plasma vitamin C level greater than 0.88 mg/dL as a surrogate for fruit and vegetable consumption) had an advantage of approximately 14 years in chronological age over those without 1 of the 4 factors.”
-Khaw et al. “Combined impact of health behaviours and mortality in men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study. PLoS Med. 2008 Jan 8;5(1):e12.
“Maternal obesity can result in unfavorable outcomes for the woman and fetus. Maternal risks during pregnancy include gestational diabetes and chronic hypertension leading to preeclampsia. The fetus is at risk for stillbirth and congenital anomalies...Obesity in pregnancy can also affect health later in life for both mother and child. For women, these risks include heart disease and hypertension. Children have a risk of future obesity and heart disease. Women and their offspring are at increased risk for diabetes...”
-Begum KS et al. “Maternal obesity and pregnancy outcome” Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2011;38(1):14-20.
“Life expectancy increases track more closely with economic prosperity and sanitary engineering than with strictly medical advances. Notable achievements in the past century--the decreased incidences of epidemic infections, dental caries, and stomach cancer--are owed to virologists, dentists, and (probably) refrigeration more than to physicians.”
-Eaton SB et al. “Evolutionary health promotion” Prev Med. 2002 Feb;34(2):109-18.
“The health and well-being of children are inextricably linked to their parents' physical, emotional and social health, social circumstances, and child-rearing practices. The rising incidence of behavior problems among children attests to some families' inability to cope with the increasing stresses they are experiencing...”
-Schor EL; American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on the Family. “Family pediatrics: report of the Task Force on the Family” Pediatrics. 2003 Jun;111(6 Pt 2):1541-71.
“It is projected that raising the minimum year-around serum 25(OH)D (Vitamin D) level to 40 to 60 ng/mL (100–150 nmol/L) would prevent approximately 58,000 new cases of breast cancer and 49,000 new cases of colorectal cancer each year, and three fourths of deaths from these diseases in the US and Canada...”
-Garland CF et al. “Vitamin D for cancer prevention: global perspective” Annals of Epidemiology. 2009 July;19(7):468-483.