Changing daily habits can have a calculated effect on your life expectancy

Adapted from BMJ 22 Dec 2012

Cambridge University professor of biostatistics, David Spieghalter, has produced an easy to understand tool that can help you quantify your daily habits in terms of added or reduced life expectancy.

If you have got to 35 years of age, you could reasonably expect to live till age 80 if you are a man and age 83 if you are a woman.

For men this is how to live a shorter life:

Smoke 15-24 cigarettes a day cut 7.7 years For women cut 7.3

have one drink of alcohol a day ADD 1.1 years For women ADD 0.9 years

have another one up till six more CUT 0.7 years per drink For women CUT 0.6 years

For every 5 units above a BMI of 25 cut 2.5 years For women cut 2.4 years

for every 5kg above your optimal weight cut 0.8 years For women cut 0.9 years

Spend two hours watching the television cut 0.7 years For women cut 0.8 years

For every red or processed meat portion you eat, equivalent to a burger 3 oz cut 1.2 years Same for women

Now for the good news:

If you eat 5 or more fruit or vegetable portions a day men add 4.3 years For women add 3.8 years

If you drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day add 1.1 years. For women add 0.9 years.

For the first 20 minutes of exercise add 2.2 years. For women add 0.81 years.

For the next 40 minutes add 0.7 years. For women add 0.5 years.

Take a statin add 1 year for men. For women add 0.8 years.

If you live in a relatively unpolluted area, less than London for example, add 0.6 years for both genders.

How does this work out for you?