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Four things people do-or don't do-are responsible for a lot of the illnesses related to "chronic" (occurring over a long period of time) diseases that lead to death. They are: a lack of "physical activity" (exercise), poor "nutrition" (eating and drinking the things the body needs to stay strong and healthy), "tobacco use" (smoking and using other tobacco products), and too much "alcohol consumption" (drinking liquor). Seven out of 10 deaths among Americans each year are from chronic diseases, such as heart disease. They "account for" (explain) more than 50% of all deaths each year.

Considering this, we know that people can live longer if they have a healthy "lifestyle" (way of living), including not smoking, eating a healthy "diet" (the combination of what a person eats daily), getting regular physical activity, and limiting alcohol consumption. Not smoking provides the most protection from dying early from all "causes" (reasons for illness).

"Experts" (specialists; people with a lot of knowledge about something) say that people should drink alcohol "in moderation" (in a controlled way and not too much). Men should have no more than two drinks per day and women no more than one drink per day. If you do not smoke, don't start, but if you smoke, get help to quit. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free and low-fat "dairy products" (products related to milk), and seafood. Get plenty of exercise every week, including "moderate-intensity" (working the heart pretty hard) and "high-intensity" (working the heart very hard) activity.

People who do all four of these healthy things are 66 percent less likely to die early from "cancer," the disease where "abnormal" (not normal) cells in the body divide and grow in abnormal ways. And 65 percent of people are less likely to die early from "cardiovascular" (related to the heart) disease.