From poor diet and inactivity to air pollution and loneliness, explore the most common health risks and what they mean for your long-term wellbeing. Crowding and economic deprivation further exacerbates the housing and health risks of slum dwellers. Overcrowded, substandard housing facilitates the spread of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, hepatitis, dengue fever, pneumonia, cholera and malaria. Overweight and obesity may increase your risk for developing health problems, such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers. These include: Your age. Babies and older adults tend to get sicker quicker. Your overall health. If you have a condition such as diabetes, HIV, cancer, or heart disease, you may need to pay closer attention to certain symptoms and seek care sooner. Medicines you take. Health risks refer to the potential negative impacts on health resulting from exposure to specific agents or conditions, which can be evaluated through risk assessment methods that quantify these impacts and identify measures to reduce exposure. The PLACES Health Risk Behaviors data capture estimated prevalence for various U.S. adult behaviors that pose a risk to health, from binge drinking to smoking, lack of physical inactivity, and short sleep duration. Each risk behavior measure is defined below. Health risks can be confusing, but they’re important to understand. Knowing the risks you face can help you find ways to avoid health problems. Chronic stress can harm your body and mind by releasing stress hormones for too long. This can lead to issues such as headaches, poor sleep and heart disease. It also can weaken your immune system. And it can lead to changes in daily habits, such as getting less physical activity. Exposure to these environmental factors may be linked to different health risks, including cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, cancers, mental health problems, dementia, reproductive problems, or heat-related strokes and illnesses, among others. Explore our data through interactive visual tools. We make datasets and our sources freely available so that policymakers have the evidence they need to make informed decisions.