Booze, cigs and lazying around start triggering health problems exactly at THIS age

Scientists say they know the exact age at which habits like smoking and drinking, and a bad lifestyle, start catching up with a person. Alcohol and cigarettes have long been known to have side effects on the human body. Experts regularly advise people to cut down on them for a healthy life. To understand how these things affect humans, a team of researchers tracked hundreds of children born in 1959 until they were 61.

They found that people who regularly drank and smoked and got little exercise were likely to feel more depressed and get physically sick. This kicks off at the age of 36.

"Our findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviours as early as possible to prevent damage from building up over the years," said Dr Tiia Kekäläinen, of Laurea University in Finland.

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"Bad habits in youth culminate in poor mental and physical health later in life," she added.

The new study was published in the Annals of Medicine.

Experts say that a sedentary lifestyle leads to several health problems, especially physical ones. Meanwhile, smoking has been linked to poor mental health. Alcohol consumption can have an effect on overall health.

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The researchers said that dropping these habits even in midlife can help one enjoy better health in old age. "Heart disease and cancer cause almost three-quarters of deaths worldwide. But by following a healthy lifestyle, an individual can cut their risk of developing these illnesses and reduce their odds of an early death," Kekäläinen added.

The study states that the longer a person indulges in an unhealthy lifestyle, the worse it gets for them in older age. 

The study notes that the problem can be seen as a vicious circle. People suffering from poor mental health and depression are more prone to taking up smoking and drinking. They also aren't motivated to work out. Hence, a problem triggers other problems in this case.

The scientists noted that the study was applicable to people born in the 50 and early 60s. The youth today indulge in habits like vaping and drugs, and so the data and results might not apply to them.