Most Americans seem to be failing this test. Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina lead by Dr. Dana E. King completed a study that compared American lifestyle today with that of 18 years ago. Data from individuals between 40 and 74 years of age was gathered and results show that most participants received a C- for healthy living.
1. Obesity among the participants increased from 28 to 36 percent
2. Those who exercised 12 times a month decreased from 53 to 43 percent
3. Eating five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily decreased from 42 to 26 percent
4. Smoking rates hardly moved changing from 26.9 to 26.1 percent
5. Drinking moderately changed from 40 to 51 percent
Dr. King's links the results consistently with the increase in diabetes and high blood pressure since these conditions are related to lack of healthy lifestyle and the epidemic of chronic health problems.
As a wellness coach, I know that it is never too late to change and living a healthy lifestyle can produce profound effects on overall health and life span, not to mention BIG savings in the healthcare system!