Healthy Lifestyles & Life Expectancy - a Look at the US Population

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Americans have a shorter life expectancy when compared to residents of almost all other high-income countries. Using data from the Nurses' Health Study (1980-2014) five low-risk life style factors were identified: never smoking, body mass index of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m(2), at least 30 minutes of daily moderate physical activity, moderate alcohol intake, and a high diet quality score. During the 34 years of follow-up, it was determined that the life expectancy at age 50 was 29.0 years for women and 25.5 year for men who adopted NO low-risk lifestyle factors. In contrast, for those adopting all five low-risk lifestyle factors, a life expectancy at age 50 of 43.1 years for women and 37.6 years for men.

"Impact of Healthy Lifestyle Factors on Life Expectancies in the US Population," Circulation, 2018:137, http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2018/04/25/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.032047