The surprising everyday habits that could lead to a health nightmare

We all know we should stop smoking, drink alcohol only in moderation, and engage in plenty of exercise to keep in tip-top shape. But other, seemingly harmless, things we do daily may be creating issues for the future, reveals Kim Jones

Watching telly all evening

A new study by the University of Cambridge suggests that people who watched more than four hours of television a day were at greatest risk of developing heart disease.

It’s possibly because, the researchers say, prolonged telly viewing usually happens after dinner (usually the most calorific meal of the day), leading to higher levels of glucose and cholesterol in the blood.

Plus, people also often snack more when watching TV compared to other sedentary behaviour like surfing the web, for example. Amazingly, reducing viewing to less than one hour a day could help prevent more than one in 10 cases of coronary heart disease.

■ Head off the habit: Take a walk after dinner if you can and limit TV viewing to a couple of hours a night. The good news is that at least an hour of moderate exercise a day can help counter sitting for too long.

Reusing your shopping bags

Researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University, California, found bacteria, including E. coli, in 99 per cent of the reusable grocery bags they tested in a study. Things like leaking poultry juice and milk, plus unwashed fruit and veg can contaminate the bag and what you next put in it, unless you wash it between uses.

■ Head off the habit: Choose cotton or canvas bags that you can machine-wash in very hot water. Label and use different bags for meat, dairy and canned or wrapped foods.

Doom scrolling

With a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the cost-of-living crisis, keeping abreast of the news recently can feel quite bleak. But for some, checking in on world events when there are crises can become a compulsive obsession. Although the news is awful, alarming and saddening, we feel an innate need to keep tabs on what’s happening.

This phenomenon has been dubbed doom scrolling. And research shows that consuming too much bad news like this can have a negative affect on both our physical and mental health.

In a recent study from Texas Tech University, 16.5 per cent of people showed signs of severely problematic news consumption, including doom scrolling. Of these people, 74 per cent reported experiencing mental health

‘‘ Watching more than four hours TV a day can up your risk of heart disease

problems and 61 per cent reported physical problems including anxiety, stress and depression.

■ Head off the habit: If you find watching the news is adversely affecting you, limit your consumption. Catch up on the headlines early evening, then make news off limits for the rest of the night – and don’t be tempted to check again just as you get into bed.

Eating late in the day

Consuming your evening meal too late at night could increase your risk of obesity. A new study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, US, found that late eating makes you more hungry, means burn fewer calories, and can even result in more fat growth.

■ Head off the habit: Some experts recommend not eating after 6 or 7pm for optimum fat-burning and to get better sleep. Plus, there’s some evidence that restricting your meals to a 10-hour window (say, breakfast at 8am, lunch at 1pm and dinner at 6pm) could improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Assuming less sleep is an inevitable part of ageing

Many people notice that, with age, they begin to get fewer hours of kip, and while it is often assumed it’s because we need less sleep as we age, that’s not the case.

Everyone requires seven to eight hours a night for optimum health, no matter what decade you have reached.

In fact, getting less than five hours sleep a night once you’re over 50 could increase your risk of developing at least two chronic diseases (such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer) according to new research by University College London academics.

■ Head off the habit: Keep your bedroom cool and dark, and ban electronic devices. “Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep,” suggests lead author of the study Dr Severine Sabia.

Getting your groceries delivered

Covid-19 lockdowns meant more and more of us got our groceries delivered to our door, a habit we’ve held on to ever since. Trouble is, according to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, it means we’re missing out on valuable musclestrengthening exercise.

NHS guidelines recommend we do two strengthening sessions a week – such as exercising with weights or carrying heavy loads (such as shopping) – to help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls as we age.

■ Head off the habit: Get an aerobic and strengthening session in one by going on a brisk walk to the shops once a week and carrying a couple of bags back home.

‘Hibernating’ in winter

There’s plenty of talk of the benefits of hygge (the Danish concept of staying home and creating a warm and contented atmosphere to see you through the dark winter days), and it can be tempting to hunker down all day, every day, when the weather turns chilly.

But plenty of research points to the fact that being outside can boost your health and wellbeing, acting like a sedative to a stressed mind and body. Studies have found that a dose of being outdoors – whether in a city park or the depths of nature – can ease anxiety, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and reduce people’s levels of salivary cortisol, a physiological marker of stress.

A University of East Anglia study also revealed that spending time in natural green spaces reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and premature death, and helps you sleep for longer at night too. And the benefits don’t stop there. Latest research from Drexel University, Philadelphia, US, found that people who spent even a couple of hours a week getting outside made healthier and more varied food choices, and ate more fruit and veg as a result.

■ Head off the habit: Make a date in your diary to get outside at least once a day, no matter what the weather. Wear warm waterproofs and a pedometer, fitness tracker, or use your phone to track your steps, and challenge yourself to reach 10,000 a day.

Socialising too little

As party season approaches, you may be wondering how many invitations you can squeeze into your schedule. The good news? Studies have shown that meeting up with mates and having strong social support can boost your health in all sorts of ways – helping to control blood sugars, improve cancer survival, cardiovascular health and overall mental health and mood. Loneliness and social isolation on the other hand has a negative effect on health and can increase depression, inflammation and spike blood pressure and cholesterol levels. However, before you become a serial social butterfly, bear in mind that there can be too much of a good thing. A recent diary study by researchers at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, found that time alone after social interaction is really important to prevent burnout and to allow you to recharge – especially for older adults.

The researchers said: “Our findings suggest that whereas social interaction is a means to improve wellbeing, solitude is also an integral part in older adults’ daily life, supporting energy recovery.”

■ Head off the habit: Make an effort to meet up with people you love and enjoy spending time with. But remember, you don’t have to say yes to every invitation. Give yourself some downtime. Chances are you’ll enjoy the next social event all the more if you’re refreshed and re-energised.

‘‘ Getting out in the fresh air reduces blood pressure, stress levels and heart rate