Study: Bad Habits Cut Off 12 Years of Life

Having four bad health habits can age you by 12 years, a new study concludes. The study included nearly 5,000 British adults. First, researchers asked them about smoking, alcohol use, exercise and diet. In all, 314 people had bad habits in all 4 of these areas. They smoked. They had more than 3 alcoholic drinks a day (2 for women). They exercised less than 2 hours a week. And they ate fewer than 3 fruits and vegetables each day. About 29% of this group died in the next 20 years. Another group, 387 people, had none of these bad habits. Only 8% of them died during the study. The difference in death rate is equal to about 12 years of aging for the people with the bad habits, researchers said. The study appeared in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine. The Associated Press wrote about it April 27.