Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example

According to the World Health Organization report (1998) a healthy lifestyle is a way of living which decreases the risk of being seriously ill and presents early dying. When people adopt a healthy lifestyle, they can take advantage of numerous benefits. World Health Organization report (1998) advises that some of those benefits might be having more money to spend, if people reduce alcohol and tobacco. In his annual report the American Institute for Cancer Research (2009) noted that alcohol is responsible for 100 thousand deaths per year.

The main causes are cancer, high blood pressure, suicides or homicides. World Health Organization (1998) studied that people who practice good health habits are expected to live 10 to 12 years longer than those who abuse alcohol, cigarettes or drugs. Healthy lifestyle is directly related to longevity. However maintaining a healthy lifestyle means that besides evading the excessive use of certain drinks, one must keep an active and regular activity. Exercising contributes to the maintenance of normal weight.

Physical activity benefits to your health by reducing the risk of hearth disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis (World Health Organization report, 1998). In addition regular exercising improves the posture, strengthens the muscles and bones and provides you with better mental health. The statistics from the American Cancer Society report (2009) show that in 2006 23% of the U.S. population suffered from cancer and eventually died. Smoking is the single greatest preventable factor of premature death.

20% of the deaths in the U.S. were related to smoking. The data indicates also that there are 430 thousand premature deaths caused by smoking (American Cancer Society report, 2009). People who quit smoking might enjoy a considerable more healthy life after that. The World Health Organization (1998) cites that few weeks after stopping smoking the heart rate and blood pressure restore their normal levels and the circulation and lung functions improve dramatically. Smokers, who quit cigarettes before the age of 50, reduce the risk of dying by half over the next 15 years (American Cancer Society report, 2009).

Besides the longevity benefits healthy lifestyle provides you with adequate daily rest. Individuals with good physical health get 7-8 hours of sleep and enjoy recreation and relaxation. In additional they also take advantage of being more energetic and productive in their professional endeavors. The lack of sleep is a major stressor (World Health Organization, 1998). The inability to receive normal sleep may impair memory, cause distress, frustration and social isolation. Person's safety can also be in danger, if for example he is driving, suffering from fatigue.

This can easily lead to a car accident. Having troubles regaining the necessary relaxation affects the immune system and people are more likely to catch cold or flu (World Health Organization, 1998). Healthy lifestyle means consuming non-hydrogenated vegetable oils, healthy hat foods like nuts, soy or olives and limit the animal fat. Eating more whole grain breads and cereals will protect you against risk of heart attack. Whatever lifestyle you choose, aim it to be healthy. This will benefit you making you more enduring, flexible and strong.

Maintaining good health habits will allow you to be more active, physically and intellectually more productive and to enjoy long and inspirational life.Reference:American Cancer Society report (2009). American Cancer Society, Inc. retrieved on 30 October 2009 from http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PRO/content/PRO_1_1_Cancer_Statistics_2009_Presentation.aspAmerican Institute for Cancer Research (2009) Policy Recommendaiton, retrieved on 30 October 2009 from http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServerpagename=research_science_policy_reportWorld Health Organization report, (1998), Healthier living, Regional Committee for Europe forty-eight session, Copenhagen.