Study: Fewer Americans Eat Well and Exercise

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Exercise, eat lots of fruits and veggies, don't drink or eat too much and don't smoke.

If there's a simple formula for basic health, that's it. Study after study reinforces this relatively simple prescription for health -- but fewer and fewer Americans are taking the advice, according to a new study by the Medical University of South Carolina-Charleston, published in the American Journal of Medicine.

The researchers looked at National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 1988-1994, and compared it to the 2001-2006 period:

• The percentage of adults aged 40-74 years with a body mass index greater than 30 (the threshold that defines obesity) has increased from 28% to 36%.
• Physical activity 12 times a month or more has decreased from 53% to 43%.
• Smoking rates have not changed (26.9% to 26.1%).
• Eating 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day has decreased from 42% to 26%.
• Moderate alcohol use has increased from 40% to 51%.
• The number of people adhering to all 5 healthy habits has decreased from 15% to 8%.

"The potential public health benefits from promoting a healthier lifestyle at all ages, and especially ages 40-74 years, are substantial," writes Dr. Dana E. King, a lead author of the study. "Regular physical activity and a prudent diet can reduce the risk of premature death and disability from a variety of conditions including coronary heart disease, and are strongly related to the incidence of obesity. In the U.S., medical costs due to physical inactivity and its consequences are estimated at $76 billion in 2000 dollars. Research indicates that individuals are capable of adopting healthy habits in middle age, and making an impact on cardiovascular risk."

The Daily Green recommends a commonsense approach to health:

• Get outside and play. Exercise shouldn't be a drag if you're enjoying the outdoors.
• Don't smoke -- it's the most direct form of air pollution.
• Avoid highly processed foods (like the Pringle, which apparently is made up of 42% potato) and be skeptical of highly marketed packaged foods (like cereals that claim miracle medical benefits).
• Eat real foods -- the kind of thing your grandmother would recognize as food, like fresh fruits and vegetables, and meats and grains raised with traditional methods.
• Eat foods that are grown locally and that are in season to maximize freshness and flavor.
• Eat organic food whenever possible, to avoid pesticide residue and because it's better for the Earth. Increasingly, studies suggest organic food is more nutritious, particularly for expectant mothers and their babies, than the alternative.

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