Recently, in a research report titled “Lifestyle and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Delayed Gratification” published in the International Journal of Happiness Studies, scientists from the University of Kent and other institutions Studies have found that eating fruits and vegetables and exercising may increase the body’s happiness index and level of well-being.
While the association between lifestyle and well-being has been found by researchers before and is often used in public health campaigns to encourage healthy eating and exercise, the findings of this study found , there may also be a positive causal relationship from lifestyle to life satisfaction.
This study is the first to reveal a causal relationship between physical well-being, fruit and vegetable intake, and physical exercise, rather than a generalized association. Using an instrumental variable approach to filter out any effects from happiness to lifestyle, the researchers found that intakeintake of fruits and vegetables and exercise made people feel happier.
Study findings suggest that an individual’s ability to delay gratification and apply self-control plays an important role in influencing lifestyle decisions, which in turn can have a positive effect on the organism’s well-being, The findings also showed that men seemed to exercise more, while women consumed more fruits and vegetables. Lifestyle diseases are known to be the leading cause of ill health and death worldwide, and with the UK having one of the highest rates of obesity in Europe, these findings could have major implications for public health policy.
Researcher Gschwandtner said: Behavioral coaching that helps plan ourselves to reinforce long-term goals may be especially helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, if a better lifestyle not only makes us healthier, but also Makes us happier, and it’s obviously a win-win situation. There has been a greater shift in healthy lifestyle choices in recent years, and it may be a major advance to establish that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables, as well as exercise, increases well-being and provides certain health benefits. It may also prove useful for policy movements around the environment and sustainable development.
Finally, the researchers say the findings are robust across income quartiles, regions, genders, education and age groups.
Original credit:
Gschwandtner, A., Jewell, S. & Kambhampati, U.S. Lifestyle and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Delayed Gratification. J Happiness Stud 23, 1043–1072 (2022). doi: 10.1007/ s10902-021-00440-y