As we all know, physical activity in childhood and adolescence is a guarantee of better physical and mental health throughout life. But that's not all. Moderate to intense physical activity can delay the onset of smoking.

A study led by Andrew Agbaje, from the University of Eastern Finland, followed 2,503 young people from the English cohort "Children of the 90s," supported by the University of Bristol, UK, from age 11 to age 24. Smoking rates at ages 13, 15 and 24 were 1.5%, 13.5% and 26.6% respectively.

Yet "childhood and adolescent smoking has been associated with a 61% higher risk of fatal cardiovascular events before the sixtieth year of life and 52% higher odds of premature cardiac damage in young adulthoods," the article points out. "The cardiovascular and neurological consequences of exposure to tobacco smoking from childhood through young adulthood are being established."

You have 72.05% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.