The strongest predictor of diabetes risk was body weight.

A prospective cohort study has confirmed once again the importance of the cumulative effects of wise lifetyle choices on the risk of developing diabetes. Men and women who had a good diet, were physically active, did not smoke, used minimal amounts of alcohol and were not overweight or obese experienced significantly lower risk.

PositiveTip: Self-discipline in many multiple areas of lifestyle pays rich dividends. Are you making good choices?

Good and bad genes can be influenced by what you eat and how you live.

A study was conducted to determine whether a pure vegetarian diet, exercise and stress management could modify the progression of prostate cancer. After one year, those following the program showed significant improvements in weight, abdominal obesity, blood pressure and blood fats. The research found that over 500 genes changed function -- some were turned "on" and others turned "off" in favor of controlling the cancer. We all have bad genes and are exposed to cancer-causing agents, but our lifestyle and diet can determine whether those genes are activated.

PositiveTip: Are you helping to turn "off" cancer genes by choosing a vegetarian diet and exercise to lower your risk of cancer?

Each hour of daily television viewing contributes almost 1/3 pound weight gain every 4 years.

In a remarkable study of more than 120,000 men and women followed for 20 years, researchers have confirmed that small changes in lifestyle can significantly impact long-term weight control. Participants were assessed every 4 years. Not suprisingly, physical activity contributed to 1.76 pounds of weight loss every four years. Each alcoholic drink per day, added 0.41 pounds and each hour of television viewing per day added 0.31 pounds over the same time.

PositiveTip: Small choices made on a consistent basis contribute to significant changes over time. What kind of little changes do you need to make to improve your health?

Insufficient sleep in young children raises risk of obesity by 420%.

Childhood obesity is sweeping the world, especially in the most economically developed countries. Sadly, 60-85% of obese children remain obese in adulthood. Researchers in Quebec, Canada followed a representative sample of infants born in 1997-98 for six years, focusing on sleep duration and body mass index. After controlling for potentially confounding factors, they found that those who slept less than 10 hours per night on a regular basis had 4.2 times the risk of obesity compared to those who slept 11 hours.

PositiveTip: How many hours of sleep per night are your young children getting? If they are not getting enough, they are at risk of obesity.

Colorectal cancer risk lowered by 5 simple lifestyle habits.

Danish researchers followed 55,000 middle-age, cancer-free Danes for an average of 10 years. Their analysis revealed that almost 25% of colorectal cancers could be prevented by following five simple lifestyle habits (not smoking; daily physical activity for at least 30 minutes; avoiding heavy drinking; eating a healthy diet; and waist-circumference control — i.e., less than 40 inches for men and less than 35 inches for women).

Unhealthy lifestyle choices increase the risk of recurrent headaches in teens.

Almost 6000 teens in Norway experienced more recurrent headaches if they smoked, were overweight, and inactive. This cross-sectional study found, after controlling for confounders, that those who smoked had a 50% increased risk for headaches (migraine, tension and unclassified); overweight, a 40% increased risk, and lack of physical activity conferred a 20% increase in risk. The more unhealthy habits the teen had, the greater they were at risk for headaches.

PositiveTip: A healthy lifestyle in teens (and most likely adults, also) lowers the risk for recurrent headaches of all types.