A new study claims to have pinned the exact age at which bad habits begin to catch up with our health, and it might be younger than you think.
A new study by Laurea University of Applied Sciences in Finland says that by their mid-30s, people who had an unhealthy relationship with drinking, smoking, and exercise at an earlier age were already showing signs of adverse health.
“Our findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviors, such as smoking, heavy drinking and physical inactivity, as early as possible to prevent the damage they do to from building up over the years,” said lead author Dr. Tiia Kekäläinen in an April 24 news release.
According to the findings, people can begin showing signs of bad behavior as early as age 36. In particular, the study associated smoking with poor mental health, minimal exercise with poor physical health, and alcohol with both.
Since it was observational, the study could not confirm whether risky behaviors, like excessive drinking, were causing poor health outcomes or whether poor health was driving people to engage in them. However, the researchers suspect the relationship is likely two-way.
For example, a person straddled with stress might turn to drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism. Excessive drinking might then cause challenges with their family, compounding mental health issues.
Fortunately, the researchers say making changes, even in one’s mid-thirties, can have positive effects later in life.
“Non-communicable diseases such as heart disease and cancer cause almost three-quarters of deaths worldwide,” said Kekäläinen.
“But by following a healthy lifestyle, an individual can cut their risk of developing these illnesses and reduce their odds of an early death.