10 Ways Americans Harm Their Health

1. We put TVs in our kitchens. Watching TV makes it too easy to mindlessly eat, thus leading us to overeat. Move yours in front of your exercise equipment or to a place where you have enough room to do a fitness DVD. ..........

2. We order fatty restaurant entrées without question. Since you're paying, ask questions and make substitutions, such as swapping cream sauce for tomato-based marinara.

3. We don't get nearly enough bone-building nutrients. Low-fat dairy products like yogurt and skim milk, as well as fortified O.J., are packed with calcium and vitamin D, both of which will help you avoid bone fractures later in life. Take a daily calcium supplement (make sure it also has vitamin D and magnesium) so you don't have to worry about running up a deficit.

4. We gloss over food labels. If we took the time to read them, we'd see that so many of the foods we buy (potato chips, nacho cheese sauce) aren't worth the staggering amount of fat. The result: We'd shop smarter.

5. We don't eat enough fruits and veggies. About 74 percent of us repeatedly don't eat the recommended five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day needed to reduce our risk of disease. And it's not that hard: An entrée-size salad can pack in three veggie servings, a small cup of O.J. delivers a fruit serving, and a half cup of cooked spinach equals a veggie serving.

6. We don't strength-train as often as we should. Pumping iron strengthens bones and boosts your body's calorie-burning power. And it doesn't take much—just three times a week, 10 minutes at a time.

7. We put up with secondhand smoke. Hanging around someone who is smoking for an hour is like smoking four cigarettes yourself. Only zero exposure is healthy.

8. We drive everywhere. Just 30 minutes a day of walking—even broken down into three 10-minute bursts—can lead to increased energy and weight loss.

9. We skip regular medical checkups. Seeing your doctor is a must for detecting silent killers like high blood pressure. Experts have learned how to decrease arterial aging by up to 80 percent. But if you never get your blood pressure checked, doctors can't help you.

10. We don't monitor our own health. Score one if you see your doctor regularly. The next step is to be an active patient—research any health problems you have or treatments you need. The more aware you are of your body, the more likely you and your doctor will catch a serious illness in its early stages.