Dietary habits and physical activity for health and wellbeing

An age-related elevation in systemic inflammation, also termed inflammageing, is suggested to precede the onset and development of several chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Together with systemic inflammation, abdominal obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia, collectively defined as the metabolic syndrome are strong risk factors for the development of chronic diseases.

Poor dietary habits together with a sedentary lifestyle represent key behaviors accentuating age-related metabolic abnormalities. Therefore, preventive strategies based on promotion of healthier lifestyle habits hold important public health implications.

The overall objective of the research project is to explore the impact of diet and physical activity on cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk factors in ageing populations, and to determine behavioural factors underlying the adoption of healthier lifestyle habits in order to provide an evidence-based model for dissemination and implementation into community health practices.