Thaindian News

London, Mar 9 (ANI): A new research has found that Britons are cutting 12 years off their lives due to unhealthy lifestyles.

UK healthcare firm Bupa said that middle-aged women are among the unhealthiest groups in the country because they eat too much and exercise too little, while other groups are shortening their life expectancy through smoking and drinking, reports the Telegraph.

However, it also suggested that being married or in a stable long-term relationship can help couples live four years longer.

Bupa experts calculated the changes people could make to increase their life expectancy.

By assessing the results of almost 5,000 adults across Britain, Bupa estimates that the average person has a health age 12 years older than they could have if they lived better.

One in eight people were said to be at risk of cutting their life short by 20 years or more, with women in their 50s and men in their 50s and 60s more inactive and overweight than younger generations.

Bupa’s figures showed that 34 percent of women in their fifties exercised less frequently than once a week, while 30 percent of them were obese and 9 percent were diabetic - the highest proportions of any age group.

“It’s never too late to make a change for the better. Whether you’re in your twenties or in your seventies, you could add years to your life by making lifestyle changes,” said Dr Annabel Bentley, medical director at Bupa Health and Wellbeing.

“We all know that bad habits such as smoking and drinking too much alcohol damage our health but these findings show the real impact of our habits and the number of years we’re knocking off our lives unnecessarily,” she added. (ANI)