Stress and anxiety: enemies of your mental and physical health

Constant stress can be detrimental to our health and longevity

Constant stress can be detrimental to our health and longevity Source: Inzmam Khan from Pexels

Fifth and last episode of our series dedicated to the secrets of longevity, with Professor Luigi Fontana.


The author of “The Path To Longevity - How to reach 100 with the health and stamina of a 40-year-old” takes us through the reasons why chronic stress can have a profoundly negative impact on our longevity.

According to a recent study by a team at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, anxiety can reduce your life expectancy by five years on average.

Stress and anxiety "are ancestral mechanisms", professor Fontana explains, which are important for survival.

"The problem is many are experiencing nowadays a chronic state of stress", often caused by the societies in which we live and the subsequent pressures of everyday life.

Chronic stress impacts negatively our physical and mental health, also because it makes us become vulnerable towards various types of addiction (alcohol and drugs amongst others).

Share
Download our apps
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Italian-speaking Australians.
Have you tried the Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine? Listen for a fresh portrait of Italian food.
Get the latest with our exclusive in-language podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS Italian News

SBS Italian News

Watch it onDemand
Stress and anxiety: enemies of your mental and physical health | SBS Italian