Healthy living

SLUSK

I know alot of people who go to the gym, eat healthy, rarely drink and do not smoke. These people are sick much more often than me. I am overweigh, I drink to much and I smoke occasionally. I have not taken a day of work due to sickness in almost two years. How come people who live much healthier lives than me are sick much more often than me?

rotinaj

Im the same mate. Bit of a belly on me, smoke 20 a day and drink a bit also. Hardly ever exercise.
I started my current job in Jan07 and havent taken a sick day yet, while other "healthier" co-workers often have a sick day.
Also havent been to the doctor since i was 12. Im 23 now.
But i guess in the long run they will more than likely out live us by a few years

Cianos

Probably just down to small sample sizes that are skewing your perspective on the issue. You can't state that "people who lead a healthy life get sick more often", just based on your own experiences. There's probably a wide range of factors involved.

Maybe they have a lower tolerance for what they consider feeling sick than a heavy drinker/smoker (because heavy smoking is actually a state of permanent sickness as far as your body is concerned).

Also people who are prone to illness will generally try look after themselves better and will probably discuss their efforts, in order to boost confidence or look for support, or simply because they are interested in health issues as it is a bigger part of their life than someone who gets sick less often.

Or, those who take more sick days than others are obviously aware of this so after they have taken a sick day they want to display that they are making an effort with their health.

etc etc.

Cianos

Cianos wrote: »

Maybe they have a lower tolerance for what they consider feeling sick than a heavy drinker/smoker (because heavy smoking is actually a state of permanent sickness as far as your body is concerned).

While Smokers are introducing a regular amount of poison into their bodies, its not a sickness in the body. Generally speaking smokers experience less illness because their bodies have learned to fight heavier attacks, and therefore they can withstand the attacks of a cold or flu much easier.

However, once a smoker gives up smoking, for quite a large period they will be more easily hit by such illnesses until the body adapts again.

I've been smoking for close to 17 years now.

In terms of health versus those who take care of themselves, we might experience less illness in the short run, however those who do look after themselves will have better health in later years. Basically, it comes down to youth, and the body being able to withstand plenty of punishment while we're younger. However, as we get older our bodies will have less resources to combat illness and damage done to the body, and smokers will have more problems in the long run.

Of course, it will also come down to your family history of illness, and your own body. Most people have slightly different bodies on the inside, and our ability to combat illness comes down to that. Its still going to be a lottery as to which people can avoid illness.

Now that I'm in my 30's I'm cutting down on the smokes, and seeking to get a grip on my health. Its silly to think that your youthful resources will continue to fight the battle without any help from you.

rotinaj

Deleted User wrote: »

Now that I'm in my 30's I'm cutting down on the smokes, and seeking to get a grip on my health. Its silly to think that your youthful resources will continue to fight the battle without any help from you.

Thats true. Im only 23. Although im am hardly ever sick now, I know this wont be the case when I get older.

Then again, some people somke, drink and dont have a great diet and they still live to their 80's or 90's. Very few of them mind you.

Ive heard of so called "healthy living" people drop dead in thier 30's and 40's.

d3mon24

d3mon24 wrote: »

Thats true. Im only 23. Although im am hardly ever sick now, I know this wont be the case when I get older.

Then again, some people somke, drink and dont have a great diet and they still live to their 80's or 90's. Very few of them mind you.

The thing about people lasting into their 80/90's while smoking and drinking is that usually its our grand-uncles or grandparents or such. They lived different times, with different stresses on their lives. Throw in the amount of chemicals which are common nowadays in our food, drink, and cigs, then we as a different generation are going to be hit harder than they were.

take cigs for example. The cig companies now add hundreds of chemicals which weren't in the cigs from the 50/60's. More than a 3rd of the chemicals in cigs are spoken as being "unknown". Or I suppose they're just not common knowledge. So the effects of cigs in modern times are far more harmful than those of older decades.

Then you have the "additions" to food, and also the types of foods more common these days. Considering the amount of fast food which people eat nowadays as opposed to older generations, we're surely going to be hit harder.

While medical science, and standards of living generally encourage longer lifespans, the manner of our lifestyles create the basis of our later years.

Ive heard of so called "healthy living" people drop dead in thier 30's and 40's.

There are many conflicting viewpoints regarding what is included in "healthy living". Many people don't really research properly what is actually good for them and just attempt what the more famous people take on. The point is that many people place a lot of stress on their bodies, in the attempt to stay healthy, when they're actually doing more damage than if they did nothing at all.

rantyface

SLUSK wrote: »

I know alot of people who go to the gym, eat healthy, rarely drink and do not smoke. These people are sick much more often than me. I am overweigh, I drink to much and I smoke occasionally. I have not taken a day of work due to sickness in almost two years. How come people who live much healthier lives than me are sick much more often than me?

Standard deviation?
Not all non smokers are healthier than smokers. It's just on average. You could also have a very good immune system.
Exercise lowers your immune system temporarily. Runners get colds more than average, but most of the time they have more energy and a better quality of life.
I haven't even had a cold in years, I put it down to hygiene. I worked as a care assistant during college and had to disinfect my hands constantly. It could be that. I have a healthy lifestyle, but that doesn't stop you getting colds normally!

Also, random sickness isn't the only way to judge how healthy you are. It affects your mood, your libido, your energy during the day, your sleep (when I'm exercising a lot I sleep less but deeper), concentration, how you look etc. Get your bloods checked to see if you actually are a medical miracle! You could have high bp or cholesterol.

Bear in mind that part of the reason men don't live as long as women is that they don't acknowledge when they are sick or feeling tired/unfit and go to the doctor, and just have massive heart attacks and drop dead instead.

rantyface

Deleted User wrote: »

The point is that many people place a lot of stress on their bodies, in the attempt to stay healthy, when they're actually doing more damage than if they did nothing at all.

Very true. I know people who did the marathon and stopped menstruating! That is just pushing your body to unnatural extremes.