A new study finds smoking, drinking and inactivity can damage your physical and mental health before you even hit the big 4-0.
Smoking, drinking and a lack of exercise can take a toll on your mind and body as early as your mid-30s, according to a new study.
Researchers looked at the impact of these three specific habits and found they can harm your health by the time you celebrate your 36th birthday.
For the study, they followed more than 300 children born in Finland in 1959, collecting data on their physical and mental well-being through age 61.
Participants guilty of all three habits – smoking, heavy drinking and physical inactivity – had a greater risk of depression and health problems. And the effects were apparent by the time they reached their mid-30s, according to the results.
Lack of exercise was tied to poor physical health, smoking with poor mental health, and heavy drinking with both poor physical and mental health.
The lead author says these “findings highlight the importance of tackling risky health behaviors… as early as possible to prevent the damage they do from building up over the years…”
However, she stresses it’s never too late to adopt healthier habits – and even changes made in midlife can have big benefits.
The researchers say future studies should include additional behaviors such as diet and explore their impact on younger generations.
Source: Annals of Medicine
Author Affiliations: University of Jyväskylä, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, The Wellbeing Services County of Central Finland, University of Eastern Finland, Finnish Youth Research Society
Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Leave a Reply