University of Florida Study Finds Unhealthy Eating Speeds Aging Process

According to University of Florida professor Christiaan Leeuwenburgh, chief of UF's department of aging and geriatric research, the average human life span could increase by up to 30 years with proper diet and exercise. The average American lives a little more than 70 years, he said. But people could live well past 100 years if they took better care of their bodies.

A recent study conducted by UF found that mutations in the energy center, or the mitochondria, of a cell were caused by obesity and lack of exercise, he said. These mutations can lead to apoptosis, or programmed cell death, and may be directly related to the aging process. The purpose of the study is to understand the mechanisms of aging, Leeuwenburgh said. People need to know how and why they age.

The study was conducted on mice that had defective mitochondria, he said. These mice were unable to repair the mistakes in their DNA. The mice were studied as they aged, and scientists watched for specific mechanisms of how the mitochondria killed the organism, he said. By studying the effect the defective mitochondria had on the aging process of mice, Leeuwenburgh said researchers were able to conclude that the mutations lead to apoptosis and not oxidative stress initiated by DNA-damaging free radicals.

Some of these mitochondrial defects can also be found in humans, he said. That is why it is very important for people to take care of their bodies and prevent premature mutations. "People don't respect food, they abuse it," he said. "Fifty percent of the U.S. is killing themselves by not being physically active and having a poor diet."

One of the major killers today is obesity because it is a risk factor for cancer and is also linked to diabetes, he said. Obese diabetics rarely live past age 40 or 50.

One way to combat obesity is through education, he said. By educating children at an early age about the dangers associated with obesity and lack of exercise, they will be equipped to make better decisions regarding their future. "There is a shocking rise in obesity among children," Leeuwenburgh said. "We need to make children and parents more aware."

The most important time in one's life is the developmental stage, between the ages of 5 and 10, he said. This is when one's cells are getting used to surviving and living. The cells become lazy and inefficient if one eats unhealthily and doesn't exercise, he said.

The island of Okinawa, Japan, is a good example to illustrate what healthy eating habits can do to increase a person's lifespan, he said. The average lifespan in Okinawa is about 85 years, he said, partially because its residents eat 40 to 50 percent fewer calories than the U.S. population.

"People don't realize that junk food is just as toxic as drugs in the long term," Leeuwenburgh said. "By respecting your life and respecting your body, you could add 30 years to your life span," he said. "It's that simple."