Fact Vs Fiction: Does Eating Healthy Increase Your Lifespan?

Whether you’re someone who can’t get enough leafy green vegetables or find yourself fighting the urge to munch on a calorie-packed snack after work, it seems like everyone today is trying to eat as healthily as possible. The short and long-term benefits of watching what we eat are among the most ubiquitous health advice any of us receive today, but turning advice into action can be a struggle.

How many of us eat as healthily as we should? Is there a general school of thought that healthy eating truly extends your lifespan? The answer, it seems, is not as many of us as you’d think. In America, 1/3 of adults are classified as obese, meaning they are so far over a healthy weight that they may experience negative impacts on their overall health. Further, 1 out of 20 adults are classified as extremely obese, which puts them at risk of an early death from preventable causes such as heart attack or stroke.

This is a pervasive and alarming problem: obesity is currently the second leading cause of death by a preventable cause, second only to tobacco. And even worse, it doesn’t appear to be getting better anytime soon. One out of every three children in the United States are obese.

So what can we do to prevent ourselves and those we love from the negative health effects caused by obesity? Some would say exercise and being active are the most important thing, and while regular exercise is important to a balanced and healthy lifestyle, recent research points to food itself as a primary culprit.

Healthy eating does have benefits above and beyond living longer. Here are some additional reasons eating healthily can improve your life in addition to lengthening it.

It saves you money

​Eating healthy can save you cash in more ways than one. If you eat properly sized portions of the right types of foods, you’ll end up spending less money on food overall. On a more long-term scale, you’ll save hundreds on life insurance premiums and medical costs over the course of your life by choosing to prevent health problems before they start.

It increases your productivity

Research has proven that people who lead unhealthy lifestyles can be as much as 66% less productive than those who prioritize their health more. The right foods and right amount of exercise will fuel your brain to think faster and more clearly, allowing you to accomplish more and succeed faster day-to-day.

You’ll live longer

And who doesn’t want to live longer? Many early deaths are due to eating unhealthily, lack of exercise, and consuming drugs and tobacco.

You’ll feel better

Some foods can worsen your mood, so eating the right mix of healthy food that fuels your body properly can keep your mood stable. Maybe it’s all in our heads, but studies have proven that people who eat healthier really do tend to feel better than those who don’t.

So, what are you waiting for? Live longer and live better — go eat well!

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