prevent cancer, diabetes, and heart disease

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Vegetables and other healtheir foods are out there, but they're not always in reach.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—It seems another study is telling us what we already know: Don't smoke, exercise, avoid being overweight, and eat more fruits and vegetables. The good news is doing all four of these things can slash your risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer. The bad news is millions of people in the country just aren't heeding the well-known health advice. Why not?

THE DETAILS: In the study, researches looked at data from nearly 25,000 German participants to gauge the connection between four specific healthy habits and a person's chance of having a heart attack or stroke, or developing diabetes or cancer.

The factors included:
1. Not smoking
2. Having a BMI (body mass index) below 30
3. Getting at least 3.5 hours a week of physical activity
4. Eating a diet high in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in meat

In a follow-up that took place about eight years later, about 2,000 of the 25,000 had developed one of the chronic diseases listed above. After adjusting for important variables, researchers found that people who hit all four of the healthy habits enjoyed a 78 percent overall lower risk of developing a chronic illness. Broken down, it translated into a 93 percent lower risk of developing diabetes, an 82 percent reduced risk of having a heart attack, a 50 percent lower risk of having a stroke, and a 36 percent reduced chance of developing cancer. Having a BMI below 30 was the single factor that gave the most protection.