The 4 Factors of Health: Understanding How we Can Live Healthier, Happier Lives

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The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

Much of what determines our health and wellbeing is out of our control. Genetics, environmental pressures and just plain chance all play a part in shaping how healthy we are. This can feel disheartening. It can feel as if we are at the mercy of our fate. But the truth is that we have a greater ability to affect our health outcomes than we may give ourselves credit for.

In fact, in many cases, our lifestyles have bigger impacts on our health outcomes than our genes. According to cardiologist Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of Northwestern University’s Department of Preventive Medicine, “For most people, a healthy lifestyle trumps inherited risk.” 

If this is true, how do we better understand these lifestyle choices? What can you do to make yourself a healthier person? How can you increase your lifespan and add more quality years to your life?

The digital health and wellness company Wellteq Digital Health Inc. WTEQWTEQF believes that there are 4 main factors within our control that lead to increased health, wellness and vitality. These lifestyle factors — sleep, diet, mindset and activity — determine our health outcomes. Critically, they are areas in which we can take actionable steps to improve. Change is within our power.

Sleep

The importance of quality sleep on our health is so often overlooked. People understand from personal experience the boost that comes with a good night’s sleep. But for many, life gets in the way. People sacrifice sleep in the name of productivity. In fact, our culture glorifies it. We idolize CEOs, like The Walt Disney Co.’s DIS Bob Iger or Twitter’s TWTR Jack Dorsey, who brag about the few hours of sleep they allow themselves a night.

While perhaps impressive, this is simply not healthy. And it will catch up to you in the long term. According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard University, poor sleep can lead to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and an increased mortality risk of 15% — not to mention Alzheimer’s disease and depression.

Diet

Americans, by and large, do not adhere to healthy diets. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), less than 10% of U.S. adults and adolescents consume enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. More than 90% of Americans older than age 2 consume too much sodium on any given day. We consume large amounts of highly processed foods that are filled with saturated fats and refined sugars.

This leads to obesity, heart disease, hypertension, fatigue and a host of other poor health outcomes. And eating a poor diet leads to an increased risk of depression and other mental health issues.

Mindset

Mental health is critical in the overall well being of a person. And many Americans struggle with their mental health. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), 40 million American adults are affected by an anxiety disorder every year, and more than 17 million experienced at least 1 major depressive episode in 2020 alone.

Activity

Exercise and general physical activity is an incredibly important determinant of health and wellness. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends adults ages 18 to 64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity, aerobic physical activity throughout the week. This is a standard that most Americans do not meet. Add into this the sedentary nature of most of our lives, and you have a recipe for disaster.

These 4 areas of our lives are the driving factors in our health and well being. And it is important to understand they are interrelated. One improves the other, and by the same token, when one suffers, the others do, too. Wellteq provides users with tools and actionable coaching to materially improve their lives through improving these 4 factors.

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.