CONSUMING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES AND EXERCISING CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER

A new study led by the University of Kent and the University of Reading has found that consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercise can increase levels of happiness.

While the link between lifestyle and well-being has been documented in the past and is often used in public health campaigns to promote healthy eating and exercise, new findings published by the Journal of Happiness Studies indicate that there is a good reason for a healthy lifestyle.

This study is the first of its kind to unravel the reason why happiness, the use of fruits and vegetables, and exercise are related, rather than the combination.

Researchers, Dr. Adelina Gschwandtner (University of Kent's School of Economics), Dr. Sarah Jewell, and Professor Uma Kambhampati (both from the University of Reading's School of Economics), used a flexible approach to filter out any effect from happiness to a way of life.

It has been shown that instead, the consumption of fruits and vegetables and exercise makes people happy and not the other way around.

The findings show that the ability of people to delay self-gratification and exercise self-control plays a key role in influencing lifestyle decisions, which has had a positive impact on well-being. Studies also show that men are more likely to exercise, and women are more likely to eat more fruits and vegetables.