A new study led by the University of Kent and Reading in Britain revealed that consuming fruits and vegetables and exercising can increase levels of happiness, according to what was published by the Medical Express website.
Although the link between lifestyle, well-being and feelings of happiness has previously been documented and is often used in public health campaigns to encourage healthy diet and exercise, new findings published in the Journal of Happiness Studies show that there is also a positive reason for a healthy lifestyle: satisfaction with life. .
This research is the first of its kind to reveal the causal relationship between happiness and consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercise, the researchers used an effective method to find out the relationship between happiness and lifestyle, and found that consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercise is what makes people happy and not the other way around.
The results show that individuals’ ability to delay gratification and apply self-control plays a major role in influencing lifestyle decisions, which in turn has a positive impact on well-being.
The research also showed that men exercise more, and women eat more fruits and vegetables.
As lifestyle diseases are well known to be the leading cause of ill health and mortality worldwide, and the UK has one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, these findings could have significant implications for public health policy.
The researchers said: “Behavioural cues that assist self-planning to advance long-term goals are likely to be particularly helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle…especially as a better lifestyle not only makes us healthier, but also makes us happier.”
