4 Bad Habits That May Make You Look 12 Years Older

Smoking breaks down the collagen, fibrous protein found in tissue and bone cartilage. With the collagen breakdown, repeated facial expressions cause fine lines and wrinkles to develop early. Smokers also tend to develop a yellow tint to their skin. Microscopic studies can detect the beginnings of aging in smokers as early as their 20s. Not a pretty sight. Don't smoke.

Heavy drinking, especially in women, often leads to low body weight, malnutrition, infertility and osteoporosis (loss of calcium). This makes women look fragile and old.

For men, excessive alcohol consumption results in the beer belly. Drinkers also often have red skin or a yellowish, jaundiced look, reflecting the impact of alcohol on internal organs such as the liver. Alcohol also dehydrates the skin and deteriorates brain cells. You'll look confused and act it. It is high in calories, low in nutrition. Malnutrition does nothing to minimize the natural aging process affecting the skin and loss of collagen.

People who don't eat the right foods will have aging issues, such as obesity. It's common sense. It's not an intellectual issue. It's a behavioral one. If you don't eat right, you might not see or feel changes overnight, but over 20 years or more, you will. You need a minimum of five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. What's that? A half cup of orange juice, a half cup of peaches, a small apple and a cup of broccoli. Not much, but that's the minimum. Strive for nine servings daily. Fruits and vegetables give you the fluids, fiber and antioxidants, substances that slow down deterioration of the body.