Large cohort studies across many countries converge on a short list of modifiable factors that account for a substantial share of the difference in healthy years between people: not smoking, being physically active, eating a predominantly whole-food diet, moderate or no alcohol, adequate sleep, maintained social connection, and keeping up with screening. This self-check samples those areas with two questions each. It is a conversation starter, not a measurement.
Sleep
Most adults need seven to nine hours. Regularly getting less is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression and injury. Consistency of timing appears to matter alongside duration.
Movement
The widely used target is at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity plus two strength sessions. The steepest gains come at the bottom of the curve: moving from nothing to a modest amount produces a bigger drop in mortality risk than moving from a lot to more.
Food
The pattern matters more than any single ingredient. Diets built around vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts and fish — the Mediterranean and DASH patterns are the best-studied — are consistently associated with lower cardiovascular risk. High intake of ultra-processed food is associated with the opposite.
Mind
Chronic stress and social isolation both carry measurable physical health risk, comparable in size to some traditional risk factors. Regular meaningful contact with other people is not a soft extra.
Prevention
Blood pressure checks, cholesterol and glucose testing, cancer screening appropriate to your age and sex, vaccinations, and dental and eye care catch things while they are still cheap to fix. Attendance beats intention: the screening you actually go to outperforms the supplement you read about.