Negative interventions
Behaviors and factors that negatively affect longevity and health.
Air pollution
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Air pollution is one of the most important environmental factors reducing both lifespan and quality of life. Both particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and nitrogen oxides or ozone cause a range of serious cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, and cognitive impairments. Even short-term exposure worsens health, while long-term exposure significantly increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, lung cancer, and dementia.
Alcohol
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Alcohol consumption—regardless of dose—is associated with an increased risk of numerous diseases, shortened lifespan, and deterioration of both physical and mental health. Alcohol is toxic to body cells, damages the liver, brain, and heart, and promotes the development of cancers and metabolic disorders.
Chronic dehydration
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
Chronic dehydration means a prolonged water deficiency in the body, resulting from insufficient fluid intake or excessive loss. This condition often develops silently, and its effects may manifest gradually, leading to an increased risk of serious health disorders. Particularly at risk are the elderly, children, and individuals who perform intense physical work or stay in high temperatures.
Chronic emotion suppression
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
Chronic emotional suppression is the habitual restraint from expressing and experiencing emotions, both negative and positive. This emotion regulation strategy, especially common in Western cultures, is strongly linked to poorer mental health and social relationships, as well as increased risk of somatic diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases.
Chronic lack of rest and relaxation
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Chronic lack of rest and inability to relax include prolonged sleep deficiency, lack of regular breaks at work, chronic stress, and inability to use relaxation techniques. This lifestyle leads to lasting disturbances in bodily function, increased risk of depression, heart disease, weakened immunity, and reduced overall well-being.
Chronic micronutrient deficiency
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Chronic deficiency of micronutrients and vitamins is a state in which the body does not receive or absorb sufficient amounts of key nutrients for an extended period. This results in impaired functioning of many body systems, increased risk of chronic diseases, and reduced quality and length of life.
Chronic psychological stress
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Chronic psychological stress is one of the most significant negative factors affecting health and lifespan. Prolonged exposure to stress leads to mood disorders, impaired cognitive functions, and accelerates the development of many chronic diseases, including those of the heart and brain. Stress affects every stage of life, with its effects accumulating with age and worsening overall quality of life.
Eating in a hurry
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Fast eating, typical of the modern lifestyle, leads to impaired satiety and promotes overeating. Numerous studies indicate that eating in a hurry increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, abdominal obesity, hypertension, and disturbances in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. Regularly practicing fast eating contributes to worsening health parameters and the development of lifestyle diseases.
Eating right before bed
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Eating right before bedtime, especially large and high-calorie meals, may negatively affect metabolism, sleep quality, and the body's regenerative processes. Late-night eating is associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance, obesity, and sleep disorders, which consequently impacts health and longevity. At the same time, small, nutritious snacks consumed before bedtime can support muscle recovery, particularly in physically active individuals, provided that heavy and sweet foods are avoided in the evening.
Evening blue light exposure
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Evening exposure to blue light disrupts the natural circadian rhythm, reduces sleep quality and duration, and increases the risk of mood disorders and depressive symptoms. Prolonged exposure can lead to deteriorating mental health, impaired cognitive function, and a risk of neurodegeneration, especially in adolescents and sensitive individuals.
Excess high glycemic food intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Consuming large amounts of high glycemic index (GI) foods leads to rapid increases in blood glucose and insulin levels. A long-term diet rich in high GI products promotes the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Particularly harmful is the regular consumption of highly processed carbohydrates, such as white bread, sweets, or sugary drinks.
Excessive caffeine intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Chronic and high consumption of coffee or caffeine is associated with reduced sleep quality and duration, as well as increased risk of anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms, especially in sensitive individuals. These effects intensify with dosage and the timing of caffeine intake, particularly in the afternoon and evening hours.
Excessive porn consumption
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Excessive consumption of pornographic content is a phenomenon increasingly observed in societies with widespread internet access. Scientific studies indicate that regular and intensive use of pornography may lead to negative psychological consequences such as an increased risk of depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and problematic compulsive behaviors. This phenomenon particularly concerns young people and individuals with increased psychological vulnerability.
Excessive red meat consumption
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Excessive consumption of red meat, both processed and unprocessed, is clearly associated with an increased risk of many serious chronic diseases. Regular intake of large amounts of this type of meat leads to metabolic disorders, vascular wall damage, inflammation, and increased risk of gastrointestinal cancers. Harmful effects are observed even with moderate exceedance of recommended amounts, especially in populations following a Western dietary pattern.
Excessive salt intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Excessive consumption of table salt is one of the most important and best-documented environmental factors increasing the risk of hypertension, stroke, heart attack, chronic kidney disease, and dementia. Salt present in the Western diet exceeds WHO recommendations by several times, leading to a significant increase in morbidity and premature death.
Excessive social media use
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
Excessive use of social media is widespread and shows a clear negative impact on mental health and sleep. Numerous studies indicate that people who frequently and compulsively use social media are more likely to experience symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and deteriorating well-being. These effects are particularly visible among adolescents and young adults.
Excessive sugar intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Excessive sugar consumption, especially in the form of added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages, is a widespread public health issue. Numerous studies show that excess sugar leads to the development of insulin resistance, obesity, fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The harmful effect of sugar is particularly evident in the case of regular consumption of sweetened beverages, which increases the risk of serious metabolic complications and shortens lifespan.
Excessive trans fat intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Excessive consumption of trans fats is one of the key risk factors for many chronic metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Its presence in the diet contributes to an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and many other metabolic disorders, which translates to a shortened lifespan and reduced quality of life.
Excessive uv exposure
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Excessive exposure to UV radiation is considered one of the most significant threats to the health of the skin and eyes. It causes DNA damage, accelerates aging processes, weakens the immune system of the skin, and increases the risk of skin cancers and serious eye diseases such as cataracts or pterygium. Prolonged exposure without proper protection carries serious health consequences, which can be effectively minimized by using protective measures.
Extreme diet monotony
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
A monotonous diet, consisting of long-term consumption of the same foods, results in a decrease in the diversity of nutrients and gut microbiota. The lack of dietary variety weakens immune mechanisms, promotes inflammation, and increases the risk of metabolic disorders and gastrointestinal diseases. Maintaining such a diet over a longer period can lead to chronic health problems, even though negative effects may develop slowly and depend on other lifestyle factors.
Fast food
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Regular consumption of fast food is one of the main factors promoting the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and metabolic disorders. Fast foods are characterized by high caloric content, large amounts of saturated and trans fats, salt, and sugars, which quickly lead to deterioration of health parameters, especially in individuals with predispositions or lack of physical activity.
Information overload
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Information overload is a state in which the amount of received stimuli and information exceeds the brain's processing capabilities. This phenomenon is intensifying in the digital age, leading to stress, fatigue, cognitive disturbances, and reduced quality of life. Excess digital content, doomscrolling, or constant access to social media exacerbate this problem, especially among young adults.
Insufficient protein intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Too low protein intake is a serious risk factor for the deterioration of muscle and bone health, especially in the elderly and chronically ill. Chronic protein deficiency leads to weakness, loss of muscle mass, decreased physical performance, and accelerates the development of sarcopenia and osteoporosis. An adequate amount of dietary protein is essential for maintaining performance, regeneration, and metabolic health.
Insufficient veggie and fiber intake
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
A deficiency of vegetables and fiber in the diet promotes the development of many chronic diseases, including cancers, intestinal disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The lack of these nutrients leads to gut dysbiosis, chronic inflammation, and deterioration of metabolic parameters. Regularly including vegetables and fiber in the diet is essential for maintaining health and preventing disease.
Intense training before bed
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Low
Intensive exercise performed at least 1–2 hours before sleep does not impair sleep quality in healthy adults, while also supporting recovery processes.
Lack of daylight exposure
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Lack of regular access to natural daylight disrupts the synchronization of the biological clock, leading to poorer sleep quality, mood disorders, and an increased risk of mental health problems. Limited contact with sunlight promotes delayed sleep phase and intensifies symptoms of depression and daytime sleepiness. These effects are observed both in the general population and among individuals with existing mood disorders.
Lack of life goals and motivation
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
A lack of clearly defined goals and internal motivation promotes apathy, reduces psychological well-being, and impairs the body's adaptive responses to stress. It is accompanied by an increased risk of depression, weakened cardiovascular reactivity, and a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases.
Lack of nature contact
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
Lack of contact with nature is increasingly common in modern societies. Numerous studies show that limiting exposure to nature can have negative health effects, including on mental health, cognitive functions, and the immune system. People living in cities, deprived of regular contact with nature, are more prone to symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and also immune system weakness. Regular contact with nature, even on a small scale, brings significant health benefits, while its absence may lead to chronic health problems.
Lack of regular medical checkups
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Lack of regular medical check-ups increases the risk of late disease detection, leading to poorer treatment outcomes, especially in cases of heart disease, cancer, and metabolic syndrome. Regular preventive check-ups are crucial for early detection of diseases, which enables more effective treatment and reduces the risk of serious complications.
Loneliness
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Loneliness is a significant risk factor for many chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, depression, and dementia. Loneliness not only increases the risk of illness, but also worsens quality of life, leading to a decline in both mental and physical health. Studies show that loneliness is linked to chronic stress, emotional disorders, and impaired cognitive function, which affect both life span and quality. Interventions that reduce loneliness can improve health and contribute to better quality of life.
No daily routine
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Preliminary
Harm: Elevated
Irregularity in daily rhythm, especially regarding sleep, meals, and work, has a clearly negative impact on health. Disruptions of the circadian rhythm, irregular meals, and lack of fixed sleep hours are associated with a range of negative health effects, including increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic disorders, and mental health problems. Regularity in daily activities is crucial for maintaining optimal health.
No intellectual challenges
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Preliminary
Harm: Elevated
Lack of intellectual challenges and environmental stimulation can lead to severe deficits in cognitive, emotional, and social development, which has a significant impact on health and quality of life in later years. Especially in children and adolescents, brain development is highly dependent on intellectual stimuli and social interactions.
No uv filter
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Not using sunscreens with UV protection significantly increases the risk of developing skin cancer because UV radiation is the main factor causing skin cancer. Regular use of UV filters is one of the most effective methods for preventing skin cancers, photoaging, sunburns, and DNA damage that can lead to mutations and cancer development. Sun protection is a key element of a healthy lifestyle and health prevention.
Noise
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Environmental noise, especially from transportation and human activity, has a serious impact on both physical and mental health. Chronic exposure to noise increases the risk of developing many chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke, as well as mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. Noise is one of the main risk factors affecting quality of life, causing both hearing loss and other health detriments. For this reason, it constitutes a significant public health threat that requires actions aimed at reducing noise exposure.
Overeating
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Overeating is one of the main risk factors for chronic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and mental disorders. Regular excess calorie intake leads to an increase in body fat, which worsens body composition and triggers metabolic changes that can lead to serious health consequences. Overeating, especially at night, intensifies these negative effects, contributing to increased risk of heart disease, hypertension, and atherosclerosis.
Painkiller and nsaid overuse
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: High
Abuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and paracetamol leads to serious damage to the liver, kidneys, and intestines. Paracetamol overdose can cause liver cell damage, and long-term use of NSAIDs leads to hepatitis, impaired kidney function, damage to the intestinal barrier, and other health complications, especially in people with comorbidities.
Physical inactivity
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Lack of physical activity has serious health consequences, including negative effects on the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and mental health systems. A long-term sedentary lifestyle promotes the development of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and depression. Regular physical activity is an effective prevention for these diseases, improves quality of life, and increases the body’s overall fitness.
Processed food
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Ultra-processed food (UPF) refers to products that are highly industrially processed, containing numerous additives, sugars, saturated fats, and often low amounts of nutrients. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies unequivocally indicate that regular consumption of large amounts of UPF leads to an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, worsening metabolic parameters, and mental health problems.
Psychoactive substance abuse
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
The abuse of psychoactive substances – including alcohol, drugs, and medications used against recommendations – is one of the main causes of serious health problems worldwide. It leads to irreversible organ damage, cognitive impairment, mental disorders, and significantly reduces the quality and length of life of people affected by addiction.
Screen use before bed
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: Elevated
Using screens before sleep is a common phenomenon among children, adolescents, and adults. Research shows that exposure to light emitted by electronic devices in the evening negatively affects sleep duration and quality, leading to worsened brain functioning, concentration, and mental health. Limiting screen use before bedtime is an effective strategy to improve sleep and well-being.
Sedentary work
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Sedentary work, characterized by prolonged sitting, is increasingly common in modern societies. Numerous scientific studies have shown that this work style is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, mental disorders, and musculoskeletal complaints, leading to a deterioration of overall health and quality of life.
Shift work
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Shift work, especially in rotating and night systems, leads to numerous health problems, both physical and mental. The pronounced impact of shift work is particularly noticeable in sleep disorders, chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, and work-life balance disturbances. Shift workers, especially women and those with irregular shifts, are particularly vulnerable to these health effects.
Sleep fragmentation
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Sleep fragmentation, i.e. frequent awakenings at night, has a clearly negative effect on physical health, mental health, and cognitive functions. Even with similar total sleep duration, frequent awakenings lead to poorer sleep quality, greater fatigue, reduced cognitive performance, as well as metabolic and emotional disorders. Sleep fragmentation also increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Improving sleep continuity is crucial for health and longevity.
Sleep less than 7 hours
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Sleep is essential for maintaining mental health, cardiovascular health, and cognitive function. Regular sleep of less than 7 hours a day increases the risk of developing depression, anxiety, memory and concentration problems, and also negatively affects the cardiovascular system, raising the risk of heart disease and mortality. Additionally, sleep restriction leads to deterioration in brain structure, reducing gray matter volume, which may promote neurodegenerative diseases.
Smoking tobacco
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Smoking tobacco is one of the most thoroughly documented harmful health behaviors. It increases the risk of many chronic diseases, including cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many other health disorders. The scale of harm is enormous, and quitting smoking brings immediate health benefits, improving the functioning of many body systems.
Snacking
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Preliminary
Harm: Elevated
Snacking on unhealthy foods, especially those high in sugars, fats, and salt, has a negative effect on metabolism. Regular consumption of such snacks increases the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, lipid disorders, and metabolic syndrome, even if it does not lead to excessive calorie intake. Long-term snacking can also affect mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Sugary drinks
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Strong
Harm: High
Sweetened beverages, especially those sweetened with sugar, are one of the main risk factors for developing many chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular diseases. Regular consumption of these beverages has a clearly documented negative impact on health, contributing to an increased risk of death related to these conditions.
Too intense training without recovery
Impact: Negative
Evidence: Good
Harm: Elevated
Intensive training without sufficient recovery can lead to serious health problems, including muscle tissue damage, increased risk of injury, and dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. Lack of rest between training sessions can result in accumulating fatigue, decreased performance, and risk of overtraining.