If you need more motivation to eat right and exercise, consider this: a poor diet and physical inactivity may be as deadly as smoking.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently analyzed some of the deadliest behaviors. Physical inactivity and a poor diet ranked only slightly behind smoking as the most common actual cause of death in the Unites States. Both are lifestyle choices that contribute to potentially fatal diseases, such as heart disease and cancer.

Motivate yourself to get active and eat right by setting a start date for your healthy new lifestyle. As you wait for your start date to arrive, prepare for your new lifestyle by slowly eliminating things that encouraged you to overeat or remain sedentary. Cancel your cable, unhook video games, and move your favorite lounge chair out to the garage. Inspect your kitchen for high-calorie snack foods and make a clean sweep by donating them to local charity kitchens. Begin stocking your freezer with healthy food items that you'll want to eat when your start date arrives, such as frozen fruit for smoothies or frozen vegetables. Read exercise and nutrition books so that you'll be armed with good information when your start date arrives. Also, tell your friends and family of your plans so that you'll feel more obligated to follow through and so that you'll have support when you begin your plan.

RealAge Benefit: Eating a diverse diet that is low in calories and high in nutrients can make your RealAge as much as 4 years younger.

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