How do you become unhealthy

There are many ways to measure the health of the nation. The publication of the government's consultation on a minimum price for alcohol puts the focus on harmful drinking habits. Physical activity is also in the spotlight because of the call by health experts for people to cycle and walk more. But to get the most comprehensive picture it is perhaps best to look at all the lifestyle factors together. There are seven established factors that raise the risk of ill-health and these are all measured by the Health Survey for England.

They are: smoking, binge drinking, low fruit and vegetable consumption, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and raised cholesterol a lack of physical activity is a factor in the last three. Over a third have three or more.

That makes depressing reading and raises the question about why we are not doing more to look after ourselves. To see the full site, please upgrade your browser to the most recent version of Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. If you cannot upgrade your browser, you can remain on this site. Back to Healthy Driven Blog Home. The risks range from mental health problems in the form of anxiety and stress to increased blood pressure, obesity, kidney damage, fatigue, stomachaches, and irritation.

Energy drinks can also contribute to risk-seeking behavior, such as substance misuse and aggression. Even if you exercise for minutes a day it does not offset the risks associated with sitting for long periods of time. Sitting for too long can lead to obesity, unhealthy blood sugar levels and type 2 diabetes, increased risk of heart disease, and general inflammation in the body.

Did you know that over fatal car accidents per year are attributed to sleep deprivation on the part of the driver? Long-term sleep deprivation leads to less active immunity protection cells called natural killer cells, which play a major role in the host-rejection of both tumors and virally infected cells.

The list of physical health ramifications associated with loss of sleep is long, but entrepreneurs are most immediately frustrated by the effect on cognitive performance. From word function to poor decision making , sleep deprivation over time can and will have a negative impact on your business. Entrepreneurship is a lonely journey and working from home doesn't help. There are clear linkages between social isolation and the cardiovascular system, neuroendocrine system, and cognitive functioning.

It also leads to depression, cognitive decline, and sleep problems. Harvard researchers found that blue light can drastically influence your sleep schedules by up to three hours. Some studies indicate that blue light prevents the restorative REM sleep, adding to the sleep deprivation problem.

Use this time to read, listen to music or take a bath. When you smoke, you deprive your heart and blood of oxygen, which is vital for your body to function. Smoking also ignites the growth of plaque in your arteries. As plaque builds, it can block your arteries which may cause a blood clot.

If the clot is big enough, it can block blood flow through your artery. This results in a heart attack or stroke. Drink alcohol.