A new study published in the journal Annals of Medicine (Elevate) sends a powerful message:
Unhealthy habits like smoking, heavy drinking, and lack of exercise can start damaging your mental and physical health as early as your mid-30s.

This research, presented by a team from Finland, tracked hundreds of people for over 30 years to see how early life choices impact long-term health.

🧪 What the Study Found

• Smoking, drinking, and inactivity were strongly linked to higher depression symptoms, poor physical health, and lower self-rated wellbeing by age 36.
• People with all three risky habits showed:
  • A rise in depressive symptoms
  • Higher metabolic risk (blood pressure, waist size, blood sugar, cholesterol)
  • Lower psychological well-being and self-rated health
• If these habits continued long-term, the damage became even worse.

Lack of exercise mostly harms physical health.
Smoking mainly impacts mental health.
Heavy drinking hurts both mental and physical health.

🏃‍♂️ Why These Findings Matter

Lead researcher Dr. Tiia Kekäläinen said:

“Our findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviors like smoking, drinking, and inactivity early to prevent long-term damage.”

• Non-communicable diseases like heart disease and cancer cause nearly 75% of deaths worldwide.
• Early unhealthy habits build up silently and show serious effects before people even reach 40.
• But there is good news:
  Even if someone starts making healthy changes in midlife, it still brings big benefits later on!

📈 Key Messages for Doctors and Health Professionals

✅ Encourage healthy habits early — even in teenagers and young adults.
✅ Educate patients that it’s never too late to switch to a healthier lifestyle.
✅ Focus on preventive healthcare: tackling smoking, inactivity, and alcohol use together.

Promoting healthy habits early is a key part of building stronger communities and a healthier future.

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