Chances are you have wondered to yourself several times, on how your life will end. Would you die while eating peanuts, will your computer explode and take you with it or would you just simply walk into a tree and fall to your death.
While those are good ways to kick the bucket, there's a high chance we all might die from the top 5 things that cause two thirds of all deaths in the United States. These conditions are heart disease, cancer, lung disease, stroke and unintentional injuries.
Interestingly enough, these conditions cause over 900,000 deaths in the United States every year. This revelation should allow us to think more about our health to help maintain a longer and prosperous life.
Based on a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the majority of these deaths could have been prevented if folks had chosen to alter their lifestyle to one that is healthier. It's quite unfortunate, because these deaths account for over 63 percent of all deaths in the United States on a yearly basis.
If changes are made to daily life activity, the following could be prevented on a large scale:
- 34 percent of premature deaths from heart disease, prolonging about 92,000 lives.
- 21 percent of premature cancer deaths, prolonging about 84,500 lives.
- 39 percent of premature deaths from chronic lower respiratory diseases, prolonging about 29,000 lives.
- 33 percent of premature stroke deaths, prolonging about 17,000 lives.
- 39 percent of premature deaths from unintentional injuries, prolonging about 37,000 lives.
"We have the biggest impact when we make the default choice the healthy choice, and that's what [the healthiest] states have done," Dr. Tom Frieden, director of CDC said.
"Your longevity and health are more determined by your ZIP code than they are by your genetic code," Frieden said. "We can make it easier for people to be physically active, to avoid tobacco and have access to healthy food, to get recommended clinical services such as blood pressure treatment and cancer checks."
What we need to understand is that making a change in our lives is never easy since we're used to doing the same old thing over and over. However, if we love ourselves and the people around us, then making the change shouldn't be much of a problem.
