Bad Habits

The following list details the chance of dying early if you have various habits. These are all things that you can change. The are sorted from "don't do this" to "not very bad for you, but try avoid it anyway". The number at the end of each line is the "hazard ratio" - the relative risk of a person dying in a particular time range if they follow the habit, vs if they don't. So for example, men that don't drink at all are 2.22 times more likely to die earlier than men that drink a little.

I've provided the URLs for the research papers in all cases that provide these numbers. If you don't believe the text (and yes, some of these are surprising), feel free to read the research!

One important reason to change these habits in the order given, is that the top ones are those that will give you the greatest change. There's no point spending a lot of effort avoiding more than 3 hours of sitting a day when you will live longer simply by changing your sleeping habits.

male: chronic temporary employment

Being unsure of your work status makes it twice as likely you will die early, than if you are fully employed. HR: 2

sleep more than 9 hours

I've seen articles written by sleep "experts" that say that you can't get too much sleep, but the actual science, based on a study of more than 10,300 people, shows that if you sleep more than 9 hours a day, you are nearly twice as likely to die early as if you sleep a more moderate 7-8 hours. HR: 1.95

smoking

If you didn't already know that smoking kills you, you do now. Smokers are 80% more likely to die early than non-smokers. HR: 1.8

sleep less than 5 hours

We all know how sleep is an important thing in our lives. If you constantly sleep less than 5 hours a day, you are 78% more likely to die early. HR: 1.78

female: chronic temporary employment

The stress of not being sure of your job has a very strong effect on your health, increasing your chance of dying early by 70%. HR: 1.7

being around smokers

Environmental second-hand smoke exposure can lower your life-span. Remember that smokers generally have a filter between the poison and their lungs, but you don't. HR: 1.59

binge drinking

Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period is worse than drinking heavily. If you binge drink, there is a 49% higher chance in any given period of you dying. HR: 1.54

be unsatisfied with your life

Being happy with your life makes it more likely you will have more of it to enjoy. HR: 1.49

have a pessimistic outlook

Having a good positive outlook on your life can actually increase your lifespan. If you have a pessimistic outlook there is a 42% chance you will die early. HR: 1.42

female: never drink

As strange as it sounds, never drinking is actually moch worse than soemtimes drinking. Non-drinkers are 40% more likely to die early. HR: 1.4

eat trans fats in your food

Trans fats have been banned in a number of countries because of their effect on health. Trans fats are mostly found in deep-fried foods using partially hydrogenated fats. HR: 1.34

heavy drinking

Drinking heavily on a regular basis can drastically affect your chance of dying early. HR: 1.31

burning out at work and aged less than 45

Keeping your enthusiasm for your work is not always easy. Don't push yourself. Burning out can make it 31% more likely you will die early. HR: 1.31

donate a kidney

Donating a kidney, while saving a life, can reduce your own life-span. HR: 1.3

exhausting yourself at work, aged less than 45

If you wear yourself out at work, you are 28% more likely to die early HR: 1.28

female: 4 hours TV per day

Women that spend more than 4 hours a day sitting in a chair watching TV instead of moving around are more likely to die early. HR: 1.262

male: 4 hours TV per day

Men that spend more than 4 hours a day sitting in a chair watching TV instead of moving around are more likely to die early. HR: 1.126

social isolation

People that live alone or that avoid society are 26% more likely to die early. HR: 1.26

cynicism in work life, aged less than 45

People work half or more of their waking hours. If you don't get along with your co-workers or customers, you are more likely to die early. HR: 1.24

Animal-sourced food with low carbohydrate content

If your diet is high in animal fats or proteins, you are 23% more likely to die early than if the fats and proteins are vegetable-sourced. HR: 1.23

drink alcohol daily

Until recently, the research suggested that a single daily alcoholic drink was good for you. However, a study of 400,000 people has shown that this is actually not true, and instead raises the chance that you will die in any particular period with a hazard ratio of 1.23.

Eat an egg a day

While eggs may be nutritious, and a lot of articles on the Internet say they are good for you, the actual science shows that eating an egg a day increases your chance of dying early by 23%. This risk is increased greatly if you are diabetic. HR: 1.23

lack of professional efficacy, aged less than 45

If you are a young person and are working in an environment that you are not qualified for, the stress can be overwhelming. You are 22% more likely to die early if you continue like this. HR: 1.22

high sodium intake

High sodium intake is bad. If you like salt, use potassium salts instead. If you have kidney disease or diabetes, seek medical advice first. HR: 1.2

eating 2 refined-grain meals /day

Refined grain meals are less healthy than whole grain. If your meals are refined grain, you are 8% more likely to die early. HR: 1.08

BMI of 26.2

People that are moderately overweight are 4% more likely to die early than people with a BMI of 23 HR: 1.04

neurotic personality

People that are overly anxious or fearful in their daily life are 3% more likely to die early. HR: 1.03

sit for more than 3 hrs a day

Sitting for more than 3 hours a day increases your chance of dying early by about 2% HR: 1.02

Conclusion

The above list was of habits that have actual research showing whether they are good or bad. If someone says "walking with your right hand flailing is good for you" and can't point to a study where this was tested, then don't believe it. But you can believe the items in this chapter, because they have all been tested.

Read the rest of the book to find out how to go beyond behavioural habits and really change your mortality for the better.