Eating a "Western-style" diet -- fried food, processed and red meat, refined grains, sweets and high-fat dairy -- can reduce lifespan, French researchers say. Lead investigator Tasnime Akbaraly of Inserm in Montpellier, France, and colleagues analyzed findings from the British Whitehall II cohort study, which involved 3,775 men and 1,575 women from 1985-2009 with a mean age of 51. Using a combination of hospital data, results of screenings conducted every five years, and registry data, investigators identified mortality and chronic diseases among participants. The outcomes at follow-up stage, classified into five categories were: - %4 had ideal aging, defined as free of chronic conditions and high performance in physical, mental and cognitive functioning tests. - Almost 13% had a non-fatal cardiovascular event. - Almost 3% had a cardiovascular death. - 7.3% had a non-cardiovascular death. - 73.2% experienced normal aging.
