ness in general and lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and other leading causes of death. Though improvements in any of the four areas can be beneficial, they are also mutually effective and wellness must include consideration of all four. Careful nutrition, for example, enhances physical fitness and enables higher levels of exercise, while exercise helps control weight in return, as well as reducing stress and, in many cases, reducing cigarette consumption. The elimination of smoking is a clear gain in wellness and consists of a single requirement -- stopping. Smoking-related risk of heart disease largely disappears two years after smoking cessation, risks of cancer decrease steadily after stopping, and respiratory improvements are immediate and cumulative. The concept of stress is ill-defined but, in brief, it generally refers to "how people respond to demands" of various kinds. Stress-management is aided by control of other health behaviors and programs directed toward alleviation of stress-induced anxiety or depression often include dietary modification and exercise.
A nutritionally sound diet enhances every other aspect of wellness. Interventions designed to modify dietary behaviors are significant contributions to the treatment and prevention of a number of chronic diseases such as "coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, certain cancers, and osteoporosis [brittle bones]." The basics of healthy diet begin with achieving a balance of a wide variety of foods that allows for the complex interactions of vitamins, minerals, other nutrients, and dietary fiber but does not supply overdos
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