Four golden rules for a long life

reposted from: http://www.presswatch.com/health/index.php?d=2009-08-11#3

11/08/2009

Daily Telegraph

By: Presswatch

People who take regular exercise, stay slim, eat a healthy diet and never smoke reduce their chances of developing chronic diseases by almost 80 per cent. Those who followed the four golden rules, the key to a long life, were also 93 per cent less likely to develop diabetes than those who adhered to none of the four factors, according to researchers in the US.  "Our results reinforce current public health recommendations to avoid smoking, to maintain a healthy weight, to engage in physical activity appropriately and to eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables and foods containing whole grains and to partake of red meat prudently," said Dr Earl S Ford, of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, who led the study. June Davison, senior cardiac nurse with the British Heart Foundation, said: "These results should highlight the importance of not smoking, doing regular physical activity and eating a healthy, balanced diet, all of which can make a big difference to our heart health."