Why live a healthy life? Can you imagine dying at an early age? Thousands of people all over the world have never realized the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. It's a saddening reality that many deaths experienced today are as a result of lifestyle diseases. (Reeves, 2000) Unhealthy living has become a status quo in our in the society we are living today. In this speech, I will set out the challenge this issue poses for us and why it's crucial for us to embrace a healthy life style. A famous scholar once said that' the greatest wealth is health" To this fact how many of us are poor? We are all swimming in poverty of health, immersed in the world of deadly chronic diseases like cancer and diabetes. Increased incidence of health related complication has been a huge giant facing the globe recently. It's the major reason for the increased morbidity and mortality rate (Elly, 2006.

want to encourage people to become addicted to living a healthy lifestyle for this is the only way they will escape the hospital door and avoid an early death. . Sustained healthy living maintains a healthy society which is vital for growth and development in any nation. Living a healthy life simply means eating healthy foods, doing physical activities and exerCise and avoiding stress in every possible way. Governments and other stake holders should policies aimed at sustaining healthy life styles to all.

The leading causes of death in America and all corners of the world are non cancer, diabetes, stroke or heart diseases as most of us want to believe (Reeves, 2000). The true cause is the unhealthy lifestyle most Americans are addicted to. Ever since, the world started experienCing industrialization and urbanization in the early 19th century, there has been a tremendous rise in the number of people succumbing to lifestyles diseases. Research shows increasing incidence of Diabetes mellitus approximately 30 million people ten years ago, about 140 million today to its estimated to rise to 300 million by the year 2025 (American Diabetes Association, 2005-2010). The case is similar or worse in other lifestyle diseases particularly cancer.

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide today, accounting to an estimate of 7.6 million deaths in the year 2008 (approximately 13% of all deaths). The rate of cancer deaths globally is expected to rise continually to over 11million by the year 2030. (American Cancer Society, 2008-2010).

According to a study done by Mathew Reeves an epidemiologist of Michigan State University, it's a saddening fact that only 36 of American Citizen maintain a healthy life style (Reeves, 2000). am sure the case is much worse in other nation of the world. From this statistic, I am perplexed, is it that people are longer value their lives? What is happening to the orld? Ahealthy nation is vital for any meaningful growth and development of a nation. A healthy society is the foundation of a nation.

Why are people everywhere embracing unhealthy life styles? Which are these unhealthy practices? Poor diet, lack of physical activities and exercises, smoking and excessive alcohol intake are the main cause of this catastrophe. These practices increase the risk of cardiovascular disease,

diabetes, cancer and premature mortality (death). To those of you who engage in this practice are digging for themselves an early grave.

It's imperative to note that the effects of unhealthy lifestyles is far more than anything else medicine has to offer, an early death is the ultimate result for unhealthy living. The diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles are deadly and inevitable. Unhealthy eating habits present a number of dangers to our bodies, High cholesterol found frequently in animal foods elevates levels of blood cholesterol, which does increase the risks of stroke or heart attack. These high cholesterol foods include: eggs, organ meat (kidneys, liver, and spleen) and brains (pork, beef, and lamb).

Allergy is another side effect and any food can cause allergy, but particular foods are to blame for the highest percentage of allergy: eggs, milk, tree nuts, fish, peanuts and wheat. Yeast infections (CardidiasSIS) results from an overgrowth of the body's normal yeast and theretore, foods that do affect the yeast levels contribute to yeast infections (Elly, 2006). Such foods include; vinegar, sugars, starches, yeast, refined carbohydrates and yeast containing products. Allergy affects between 10% and 30% of all adults and as many as 40% of children and the prevalence of allergy stands at 35% in Australasia and Europe, according to the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS).

Heartburn and Acid Reflux, Kidney stones, Migraine and Headache are other effects of unhealthy eating lifestyle that has affected large population and statistics shows that 236 of the world's population health problems are caused by these The solutions to unhealthy living are simple and many. The life choices we make are crucial. Firstly, we need plan a balanced healthy diet, consulting a medical professional is recommended to choose the best diet available. Just, eating at least five fruits and vegetables are enough to escape the doctor. Eating healthy is so advantageous it strengthen our white blood to defend the body from diseases.

The second solution, we need to incorporate physical activities and other aspects of exercises in our everyday life. The society needs to embrace a paradigm shift from lazy lives to more active life by doing exercises like sidewalks, DIke paths going tO the gym at least tor an hour daily and so on.

Physical activities are critical to maintain a standard weight, overweight leads to obesity. Obese people are more prone to diseases like diabetes and other chronic diseases.

I would also recommend people to stop smoking. Smoking is among the major causes of the killer disease cancer. "Smoking kills" it leads about 90% of lung cancer deaths in men and almost 80% in women (Ierry, 2005). To all those of you addicted to smoking, ts high time you visit a rehabilitation centre to be guided on how to stop this habit that is killing you slowly day by day. People should also stop excessive consumption of alcohol which has similar disastrous effect. The advantages of not smoking and over consuming alcohol are no one but many, you body stays healthy and free from diseases, and you also save money which could be used to improve your diet to be more health.

Lastly the government need to promote healthy living through campaigns and putting in place measures to control manufacturing and selling of cigarettes and alcohol.

In conclusion, how many of you wish to die early? For a cause, they would have prevented.

Unhealthy lifestyles have become so common among us; they are the major cause of chronic diseases and deaths worldwide. Poor diets, smoking and lack of physical activities are the main characteristics of unhealthy living. Societal change is a necessity to inculcate healthy lifestyles. To live a healthy life is the only way we can avoid an early grave. Iam urging all of you to become addicted to healthy lifestyles". In order for us, to live a healthy life we must be sick and tired of being SICk and tired".