Understanding Your Power: What are two risk factors that you can control?

September 24, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic diseases account for billions in healthcare costs annually, yet many of the primary drivers are preventable. Understanding what are two risk factors that you can control gives you the power to significantly improve your health outcomes and quality of life. This guide will provide actionable strategies for taking charge of your well-being.

Quick Summary

Lifestyle choices like your diet and level of physical activity are two of the most significant risk factors you can manage to prevent chronic illness. Focusing on healthy eating and regular exercise empowers you to take a proactive approach to long-term wellness, rather than accepting fate.

Key Points

Dietary Control: What you eat is a significant controllable risk factor affecting your cholesterol, blood pressure, and overall weight.
Physical Activity: Your level of exercise is a controllable factor that strengthens your heart and helps manage weight and blood sugar.
Lifestyle Choices: Controllable risk factors extend beyond diet and exercise to include habits like smoking, alcohol consumption, and stress management.
Proactive Prevention: Focusing on modifiable behaviors is the most effective way to prevent or delay the onset of many chronic illnesses.
Small Steps, Big Impact: You don't need radical changes; small, consistent improvements in your diet and activity level yield significant long-term health benefits.
Mind Over Matter: Learning to manage chronic stress is a key controllable risk factor that can lower blood pressure and improve immune function.

Your Health in Your Hands: Exploring Controllable Risk Factors

When we talk about health, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by things we can't change, such as family history or genetics. However, a large part of your long-term health is determined by decisions you make every day. The most impactful way to reduce your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers is to focus on the modifiable, or controllable, risk factors. Two of the most foundational and effective factors you can manage are your diet and your physical activity level.

The Cornerstone of Wellness: Diet and Nutrition

Your dietary habits are a direct, controllable risk factor with profound effects on your body. A diet high in processed foods, saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars increases your risk for numerous health issues, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity. Conversely, a diet rich in whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, provides the nutrients your body needs to thrive and ward off illness. It's not about strict, restrictive eating but rather making consistent, thoughtful choices.

The Power of a Balanced Plate

Include more plants: Fill your plate with a variety of colorful vegetables and fruits. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that protect your cells from damage.
Choose whole grains: Opt for whole-grain bread, brown rice, and oatmeal over refined white flour products. Whole grains provide fiber that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol.
Embrace healthy fats: Incorporate healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. These are beneficial for heart and brain health.
Limit processed foods: Reduce your intake of fast food, sugary drinks, and packaged snacks. These often contain hidden sodium, fats, and sugars that contribute to health problems.

The Dynamic Duo: Physical Activity and Exercise

Being physically inactive is a leading risk factor for many chronic conditions. The human body is designed to move, and regular exercise plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening your cardiovascular system, and improving your mood. You don't need to become a professional athlete to reap the benefits; consistency is more important than intensity.

Building a More Active Lifestyle

Start small: Begin with a manageable amount of exercise, like a 15-minute walk. Gradually increase the duration and intensity as you build stamina.
Find what you enjoy: Choose activities you genuinely like, whether it’s cycling, dancing, gardening, or hiking. This makes it easier to stick with a routine.
Aim for variety: Combine different types of exercise. Incorporate cardiovascular workouts (like brisk walking or swimming), strength training (using weights or bodyweight), and flexibility exercises (like stretching or yoga).
Integrate movement into your day: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, walk during your lunch break, or stretch while watching television.

Beyond Diet and Exercise: Other Key Controllable Factors

While diet and exercise are foundational, other lifestyle choices significantly influence your health. Smoking cessation and effective stress management are two other immensely impactful controllable risk factors. The American Heart Association, a leading authority on cardiovascular health, provides extensive resources on these topics, including effective quitting strategies and techniques for managing stress.

Smoking: Tobacco use is a major cause of preventable disease and death. Quitting smoking is one of the single most impactful actions you can take for your health, regardless of how long you've smoked. The health benefits begin almost immediately after your last cigarette.
Stress: Chronic, unmanaged stress can elevate blood pressure, contribute to weight gain, and negatively impact your immune system. Finding healthy outlets for stress, such as mindfulness, hobbies, or spending time in nature, is vital for long-term health.
Sleep: Poor sleep hygiene is linked to numerous health issues. Creating a consistent sleep schedule and a relaxing bedtime routine can dramatically improve your body’s ability to repair and restore itself.

Controllable vs. Uncontrollable Risk Factors


Feature	Controllable Risk Factors	Uncontrollable Risk Factors
Definition	Behaviors and habits that can be modified through conscious choices.	Fixed, non-modifiable attributes related to your biology and lineage.
Examples	Diet, physical activity, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, stress management, sleep habits.	Age, family history, genetics, sex, race.
Impact	Directly influences your likelihood of developing chronic diseases. Making positive changes can lower your risk.	Can increase your risk of certain conditions, but their influence can be mitigated by managing controllable factors.
Actionable Advice	Focus on lifestyle changes, seek support for quitting habits like smoking, and adopt healthy routines.	Acknowledge them, get regular screenings, and be proactive with your health by optimizing your controllable risk factors.

Your Path to Better Health

Taking charge of your health doesn't require a complete overhaul overnight. Start with small, manageable steps. Focus on mastering one controllable risk factor at a time. The cumulative effect of these small changes can lead to a healthier, longer, and more fulfilling life. By consistently making positive choices, you are building resilience against chronic disease and investing in your most valuable asset: your well-being.

For more information on preventing heart disease, please visit the American Heart Association website.

Frequently Asked Questions

The two most important controllable risk factors for heart disease are an unhealthy diet and a sedentary lifestyle. By improving your nutrition and increasing your physical activity, you can significantly lower your risk.

Controlling your diet, by reducing processed foods and increasing fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, helps manage weight, lower cholesterol, and regulate blood pressure, all of which are critical for preventing chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Yes, absolutely. Regular physical activity benefits your health regardless of your weight. It strengthens your heart, improves blood circulation, and helps manage stress, all of which contribute to lowering overall health risks.

Yes, smoking is a completely controllable risk factor. Choosing to quit tobacco use is one of the most powerful steps you can take to immediately reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and lung problems.

Stress management is a controllable risk factor. You can improve it by practicing relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing, engaging in hobbies you enjoy, and spending time with friends and family.

Controllable risk factors are lifestyle choices and habits that you can change, such as diet, exercise, and smoking. Uncontrollable risk factors are things you cannot change, like your age, genetics, and family history of disease.

In addition to diet and exercise, two other key risk factors you can control are your smoking status and your ability to manage stress. Quitting smoking and developing effective stress coping mechanisms are powerful tools for improving long-term health.

Start with small, sustainable changes. For diet, try adding one extra fruit or vegetable to your plate each day. For exercise, begin with a 10-15 minute walk. The goal is consistency, not perfection, so choose changes you can stick with over time.