Ideas in this flowchart

• Risk factors for disease
• Risk factors are things in your life that increase your chances of getting a certain disease.
• Taking charge of your health requires understanding your risk factors.
• Some risk factors are beyond your control because you may be born with them or exposed to them through no fault of your own.
• Examples include family history of a disease, sex or gender, and ancestry.
• Some risk factors can be controlled through personal choices.
• Controllable factors include diet, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and drug misuse.
• Almost 35 percent of premature U.S. deaths in 2000 were estimated to be avoidable by changing three behaviors.
• The three behaviors were stopping smoking, eating a healthy diet, and getting more physical activity.
• Having more risk factors makes it more likely that you will get the disease.
• Healthy eating, regular exercise, and controlled blood pressure lower the chances of heart disease compared with diabetes, smoking, and inactivity.
• Small steps toward a healthy lifestyle can lower risks and lead to big rewards.