The Greatest Risk to Your Life and Health

If I were to ask you what you thought the most significant threat was to your life and health, how would you answer? Is it obesity? Infectious disease? Lack of exercise? Poor diet? Alcohol use? Smoking, Inflammatory reactions, or something else? The answer is aging. Your chances of dying are obviously greater at 90 than at 70 or 50. Degenerative diseases are more liely to occur as you age even if you follow a good diet and exercise regularly. Even Jack LaLane sucummed to death at 96 years of age.

Genetics is probably the most important factor here. If your parents lived long healthy lives you probably will too. Nevertheless, the genes you inherit do not totally determine your length of life or your overall health because what really matters is how those genes are expressed. Think of your genes as being turned on or off. An oncogene (one that can cause cancer) is harmless if turned off or not expressed. Genetic espression can be altered by lifestyle. People living in the so-called Blue Zones of the world are all very long lived with few if any degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Many live to 100 or more and in good condition. Typically they eat natural whole foods, exercise regularly, often as part of their livlihood, have closely knit families, experience little stress, live in pollution free environments, and often are religious. For more information consult The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest . By Dan Buttner, published by the National Geographic.

So genetics is not everything where health and longevity are concerned. Important yes, but not deterministic. Strive for a healthy life style and you will most likely be rewarded with longer and more disease free life than most Americans enjoy.