Study: Only Small Percentage of Americans Have a ‘Healthy Lifestyle’

FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ) — 150 minutes of exercise per week a body fat percentage under 20 percent for men or 30 percent for women, a diet in the top 40 percent of the Healthy Eating Index, and abstaining from tobacco are the 4 basic characteristics of a health lifestyle.

According to a recent study published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings journal, fewer than 3 percent of Americans have those characteristics. which play a vital role in combating diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, the leading causes of premature death.

The study’s authors cite a lack of time to exercise, and the marketing of unhealthy foods, as possible contributing factors.