The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says avoidable behaviors like cigarette use, poor diet and lack of exercise are the underlying cause of half of the deaths in the United States. A new study finds it's never too late to gain health benefits by knocking off such bad habits.

During a five-year study, researchers tested the walking speeds of 2,000 people who either smoke, were smokers, or had never smoked. Current smokers walked more slowly than those who had stopped. The findings will be presented next week at the American Geriatrics Society's Annual Meeting.

The results suggest that even at an older age, changing bad habits such as smoking can positively impact a senior's health later in life. Study leader Alison Moore of the American Geriatrics Society this week suggested five bad habits that should be halted if you wish to live longer. -- LiveScience Staff

5、Bad Food Choices

weight can cause multiple health problems and complications, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke, Moore said. We'd like to add that it can cause reduced sex desire. Substituting good carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, wheat bread, brown rice) for bad carbohydrates (white potatoes, white bread, white rice) and adding lean proteins, while limiting foods with high fat and sugar contents, will help seniors maintain a healthy weight, she said. Not bad advice for Junior, either.

4、Smoking and Drinking

Smoking and excessive alcohol intake is proven to have negative health effects on a person at any age, but seniors who smoke and drink regularly increase their chances of more advanced medical problems. The effects of many medications are altered when mixed with alcohol, which can pose serious health risks, especially for seniors taking multiple medications, Moore said. Smoking, like obesity, will also curb your sex life.

3、Couch Potato

Syndrome As people age, they often slow down and feel like they can't do as much as they did when they were young. While physical activity sometimes becomes restricted due to health ailments, that doesn't mean the brain needs to slow down. There are a variety of activities seniors can do to keep their minds focused and sharp, including word puzzles, interactive games, joining a book club or participating in other social and volunteer activities, Moore said. We recently published this helpful summary: 10 Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp.

2、Messing Up Medications

The majority of seniors are on multiple medications and sometimes find it difficult or too bothersome to remember when and which medications to take each day. As a result, some seniors "adjust" their daily medication routine without talking to their physicians, Moore notes. To help keep medications organized and alleviate frustration, seniors should use weekly or monthly pill boxes and have a family member or friend help them fill pill boxes on a regular basis or make a color coded chart to help keep track of their pills and the times they need to be taken, she said.

1、Lack of Exercise

Keeping physically active is integral to keeping the heart, mind and bones healthy. For some seniors, physical restrictions make exercise a challenge, but there are still small ways to incorporate physical activity into a daily routine, such as parking further away from the store to get in a short walk. And, programs such as yoga, Pilates or Tai Chi can help with balance and weight loss and can be adapted to all levels of physical ability, Moore said. While it's not yet clear what role exercise plays in weight loss, it is soundly proven to pack a host of health benefits, including helping to keep the mind sharp.

美国疾病预防控制中心表示：在美国，有一半的死亡是受到吸烟、不合理饮食以及缺乏运动等行为的潜在影响，而这些行为是可以避免的。一项最新研究发现，要使健康受益，任何时候戒除这些坏习惯都不算晚。

在一项为期5年的研究中，研究者们对2000个吸烟者、已戒烟者和从不吸烟者的行走速度进行了测试。尚在吸烟者比已戒烟者的行走速度要慢很多。这些发现将于下周举行的美国老年病学会年会上公布。

这些研究结果显示，即使年岁已长，改掉吸烟等坏习惯仍能对老年人晚年的健康产生积极影响。本周，领导这项研究的美国老年病学会的艾莉森-摩尔(Alison Moore) 提出了五个应该戒除的坏习惯——如果你想活得长一点儿的话。——《科学现场》编者

第五项：不合理饮食

艾莉森-摩尔表示，肥胖可以导致多种健康问题和并发症，包括糖尿病、心脏病和中风。而我们想增加一点，那就是肥胖还会导致性欲减退。艾莉森-摩尔说，用“好碳水化合物”（比如红薯、全麦面包、糙米）替代“坏碳水化合物”（比如土豆、白面包、白米），增加瘦肉蛋白，同时限制高脂肪、高糖食物，将会帮助老年人保持健康的体重。

这对年轻人来说也不失为一个好建议。

第四项：吸烟和饮酒

吸烟和过量饮酒被证明对任何年龄的人的健康都有负面影响，但是那些习惯吸烟和饮酒的老年人们面临更多、更复杂的药物问题。艾莉森-摩尔说，许多药物与酒精混合后效果会改变，这会为老年人尤其是服用多种药物的老年人带来严重的健康风险。

第三项：沙发土豆综合症

当年纪渐长时，人们常常会行动迟缓，并且觉得自己无法再象年轻时那样做很多事。虽然身体的活动有时候会因健康问题而受到限制，但是这并不意味着脑子也要慢下来。艾莉森-摩尔说，老年人可以做很多事情以保持思维的集中和敏捷，比如填字游戏、互动游戏、参加读书俱乐部或者参与其他社会活动和志愿活动。我们最近也发表过一篇有用的概述：保持思维敏捷的10个途径。

第二项：用药混乱

大多数老年人同时在服用多种药物，有时候他们会觉得要记住每天在什么时候服用何种药物是相当困难和麻烦的事。于是乎，一些老年人没有与医生商量就 “调整”了每日用药程序。艾莉森-摩尔提醒说，要想使药物组织有序，避免用药困扰，老年人应该使用每周或每月药片盒，并且需要一个亲属或者朋友帮助他们按照规律填满药盒，或者制作一个色码表帮助他们了解何时该吃什么药。

第一项：缺乏运动

坚持运动对于保持心脏、思维和骨骼的健康是不可或缺的。对一些老年人来说，身体状况的约束使得体育锻炼颇具挑战性，但是仍然有些小办法让体育锻炼成为日常活动的一部分。比如停车时离商场稍远一些，这样就可以进行一次小的徒步走。此外，一些运动项目比如瑜伽、普拉提或者太极拳可以帮助保持平衡性和减肥，对不同体质的人们来说都适用，摩尔说。

虽然目前还不清楚体育锻炼在减肥中是如何发挥作用的，但是非常确定的是体育锻炼对于健康好处多多，包括帮助保持思维敏捷。