life changing decisions essay

Essays About Life-changing Experiences: 5 Examples

Discover our guide for writing essays about life-changing experiences that combine three different elements: narrative, description, and self-reflection. 

Each of us has gone through life-changing experiences that shaped us into the individuals we are today. Because of how powerful they are, these events make for fascinating topics in writing. This subject doesn’t only let us tell our life stories, and it also pushes us to evaluate our behavior and reflect on why an incident happened.

Attract your readers by creating an excellent introduction and choosing a unique or exciting encounter. Paint a picture of the events that describe your experience vividly and finish with a strong conclusion.

5 Essay Examples

1. long essay on experience that changed my life by prasanna, 2. life-changing events: personal experience by anonymous on studycorgi.com, 3. my example of a life-changing experience by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. life-changing experience: death essay by writer annie, 5. a life-changing experience during the holiday season by anonymous on studymoose.com, 1. life-changing experience: defined, 2. the experience that changed my life, 3. life-changing events and how they impact lives, 4. everyday events that change a person’s life, 5. the person who change my life, 6. books or movies that changed my life, 7. a life-changing quote.

“Experiences can be good and sometimes terrible that results in a positive or negative impact on one’s life. Life is full of many unexpected challenges and unknown turning points that will come along any time. People must learn and grow from every experience that they go through in life rather than losing yourself.”

In this essay, Prasanna discusses her father’s death as her most challenging life-changing experience. She was cheerful, immature, and carefree when her father was still alive. However, when her father left, she became the decision-maker of their family because her mother was unable to.

Prasanna mentions that she lost not only a father but also a friend, motivator, and mentor. That sad and unexpected experience turned her into an introverted, mature, and responsible head of the family. Ultimately, she thanks her father for making her a better person, and because of the devastating incident, she realizes who she can trust and how she should handle the real world. You might also be interested in these essays about choice .

“In life, certain experiences present challenges that change the way people relate to themselves and their families. Certain life events mark life-changing moments that alter lives either positively or negatively. It matters how people handle their relationships at such critical moments.”

This essay contains two life events that helped the author become a better person. These events taught them to trust and appreciate people, be responsible, and value family. The first event is when their best friend passes away, leading to stress, loss of appetite, and depression. The second circumstance happened when the author postponed their studies because they were afraid to grow up and be accountable for their decisions and actions.

The writer’s family showed them love, support, and understanding through these events. These events changed their behavior, attitude, and perspective on life and guided them to strengthen family relationships.

For help picking your next essay topic, check out our 20 engaging essay topics about family .

“I thought it was awkward because he looked and acted very professional. In that moment I thought to myself, ‘this person is going to have a great impact in my life!’. I was very curious to meet him and get a chance to show him my personality.”

This essay proves that you should always believe in yourself and not be afraid to try something new. The author recalls when they had many problems and met an extraordinary person who changed their life. 

When they were in sixth grade, the writer had life issues that caused them to be anxious about any future endeavor. The author then says they don’t usually open up to teachers because they fear their reactions. Then they met Mr. Salazar, a mentor who respects and values them, and the writer considers him their best friend.

“When the funeral was over and he was laid to rest, I had a feeling I can’t even describe. It was almost an empty feeling. I knew I had lost someone that could never be replaced.”

Annie never thought that she’d go through a life-changing experience until the sudden death of her father. Her thoughts and feelings are all over the place, and she has many unanswered questions. She says that although she will never wish for anyone to experience the same. However, her father’s passing improved her life in some ways.

Her mother remarried and introduced a new father figure, who was very kind to her. Living with her stepdad allowed her to explore and do things she thought she couldn’t. Annie still mourns the loss of her birth father, but she is also grateful to have a stepdad she can lean on. She gradually accepts that she can’t bring her birth father back.

“This story as a whole has really changed me and made me an even better person in life, I’m so thankful that this happened to me because now I have a greater appreciation for the little things in life.”

The essay shows how a simple interaction on a cold day in December can completely change a person’s view on life. It starts with the writer being asked a small favor of an older man with Alzheimer’s disease to help him find his car. This experience teaches the writer to be more observant and appreciative of the things they have. The author was inspired to spend more time with loved ones, especially their grandfather, who also has Alzheimer’s disease, as they learned never to take anything for granted.

7 Prompts for Essays About Life-changing Experiences

Everyone has their definition of a life-changing experience. But in general, it is an event or series of events profoundly altering a person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior. Use this prompt to explain your understanding of the topic and discuss how a simple action, decision, or encounter can change someone’s life. You might also be interested in these essays about yourself .

For this prompt, choose a specific memory that made you re-evaluate your views, values, and morals. Then, discuss the impact of this event on your life. For example, you can discuss losing a loved one, moving to another country, or starting a new school. Your conclusion must contain the main lessons you learned from the experience and how it can help the readers.

Various positive and negative life-changing experiences happen anytime and anywhere. Sometimes, you don’t notice them until they substantially disturb your everyday life. 

To begin your essay, interview people and ask about a momentous event that happened to them and how it influenced their way of living. Then, pick the most potent life-changing experience shared. Talk about what you’d do if you were in the same situation.

Some life-changing events include common things such as marriage, parenthood, divorce, job loss, and death. Research and discuss the most common experiences that transform a person’s life. Include real-life situations and any personal encounters for an intriguing essay.

It’s normal to meet other people, but connecting with someone who will significantly impact your life is a blessing. Use this prompt to discuss that particular person, such as a parent, close friend, or romantic partner. Share who they are and how you met them, and discuss what they did or said that made a big difference in your life. 

Movies like “The Truman Show” help change your viewpoint in life. They open our minds and provide ideas for dealing with our struggles. Share how you reached an epiphany by reading a book or watching a movie. Include if it’s because of a particular dialogue, character action, or scenes you can relate to.

While others use inspirational quotes for comfort and to avoid negative thinking, some find a quote that gives them the courage to make drastic changes to better their lives. For this prompt, search for well-known personalities who discovered a quote that motivated them to turn their life around.  Essay Tip: When editing for grammar, we also recommend spending time and effort to improve the readability score of your essay before publishing or submitting it.

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

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I asked hundreds of people about their biggest life decisions. Here’s what I learned

Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Technology Sydney

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Adrian R. Camilleri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Technology Sydney provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

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You make decisions all the time. Most are small. However, some are really big : they have ramifications for years or even decades. In your final moments, you might well think back on these decisions — and some you may regret.

Part of what makes big decisions so significant is how rare they are. You don’t get an opportunity to learn from your mistakes. If you want to make big decisions you won’t regret, it’s important you learn from others who have been there before.

There is a good deal of existing research into what people regret in their lives. In my current project, I decided to approach the problem from the other end and ask people about their life’s biggest decisions.

What are life’s biggest decisions?

I have spent most of my career studying what you might call small decisions: what product to buy , which portfolio to invest in , and who to hire . But none of this research was very helpful when, a few years ago, I found myself having to make some big life decisions.

To better understand what life’s biggest decisions are, I recruited 657 Americans aged between 20 and 80 years old to tell me about the ten biggest decisions in their lives so far.

Each decision was classified into one of nine categories and 58 subcategories. At the end of the survey, respondents ranked the ten decisions from biggest to smallest. You can take the survey yourself here . (If you do, your answers may help develop my research further.)

The following chart shows each of the 58 decision subcategories in terms of how often it was mentioned (along the horizontal axis) and how big the decision was considered in retrospect (along the vertical axis).

In the upper right of the chart we see decisions that are both very significant and very common. Getting married and having a child stand out clearly here.

Other fairly common big life decisions include starting a new job and pursuing a degree. Less common, but among the highest ranked life decisions, include ending a life – such as that of an unborn child or a dying parent – and engaging in self-harm.

Of course, the results depend on who you ask. Men in their 70s have different answers than women in their 30s. To explore this data more deeply, I’ve built a tool that allows you to filter these results down to specific types of respondents.

Read more: How to help take control of your brain and make better decisions

What are life’s biggest regrets?

Much can also be learned about how to make good life decisions by asking people what their biggest regrets are. Regret is a negative emotion you feel when reflecting on past decisions and wishing you had done something differently.

In 2012, Australian caregiver Bronnie Ware wrote a book about her experiences in palliative care. There were five regrets that dying people told her about most often:

• I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
• I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
• I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings
• I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends
• I wish I had let myself be happier.

This anecdotal evidence has received support from more rigorous academic research. For example, a 2011 study asked a nationally representative sample of 270 Americans to describe one significant life regret. The six most commonly reported regrets involved romance (19.3%), family (16.9%), education (14.0%), career (13.8%), finance (9.9%), and parenting (9.0%).

Although lost loves and unfulfilling relationships were the most common regrets, there was an interesting gender difference. For women, regrets about love (romance/family) were more common than regrets about work (career/education), while the reverse was true for men.

What causes regret?

Several factors increase the chances you will feel regret.

In the long run it is inaction — deciding not to pursue something — that generates more regret . This is particularly true for males, especially when it comes to romantic relationships . If only I had asked her out, we might now be happily married.

Poor decisions produce greater regret when it is harder to justify those decisions in retrospect. I really value my friends and family so why did I leave them all behind to take up that overseas job?

Given that we are social beings, poor decisions in domains relevant to our sense of social belonging — such as romantic and family contexts — are more often regretted . Why did I break up my family by having a fling?

Regrets tend to be strongest for lost opportunities : that is, when undesirable outcomes that could have been prevented in the past can no longer be affected. I could have had a better relationship with my daughter if I had been there more often when she was growing up.

The most enduring regrets in life result from decisions that move you further from the ideal person that you want to be . I wanted to be a role model but I couldn’t put the wine bottle down.

Making big life decisions without regrets

These findings provide valuable lessons for those with big life decisions ahead, which is nearly everyone. You’re likely to have to keep making big decisions over the whole course of your life.

The most important decisions in life relate to family and friends. Spend the time getting these decisions right and then don’t let other distractions — particularly those at work — undermine these relationships.

Seize opportunities. You can apologise or change course later but you can’t time travel. Your education and experience can never be lost.

Read more: Running the risk: why experience matters when making decisions

Avoid making decisions that violate your personal values and move you away from your aspirational self. If you have good justifications for a decision now, no matter what happens, you’ll at least not regret it later.

I continue to ask people to tell me about their biggest life decisions. It’s a great way to learn about someone. Once I have collected enough stories, I hope to write a book so that we can all learn from the collective wisdom of those who have been there before.

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Essay on The Day I Decided to Change My Life

Students are often asked to write an essay on The Day I Decided to Change My Life in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on The Day I Decided to Change My Life

Introduction.

One day, I woke up and decided to change my life. It was a regular day, but I felt different.

Realization

I decided to eat healthier, exercise daily, and limit my screen time. I knew it would be hard, but I was determined.

The change was tough initially, but I started feeling better, both physically and mentally.

250 Words Essay on The Day I Decided to Change My Life

The awakening.

The day I decided to change my life was an ordinary day, indistinguishable from the rest. However, the ordinary was about to become extraordinary. I was sitting in my office, buried in a pile of paperwork, my spirit slowly being crushed under the monotony of routine.

The Epiphany

In the midst of this routine, a realization dawned upon me. I was not living; I was merely existing. This realization was a spark that ignited a desire for change. I decided I wanted to live a life of purpose, not just go through the motions.

The Decision

I decided to take control of my life. This decision was not a sudden impulse but a well-thought-out plan. I made a list of things I wanted to change: my job, my lifestyle, my mindset. I decided to pursue my passion for writing, to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and to cultivate a positive mindset.

The Journey

The journey was not easy. There were numerous obstacles and setbacks. However, every time I fell, I picked myself up and continued. I discovered an inner strength and resilience I never knew I had.

The Transformation

The day I decided to change my life was the day I truly started living. I discovered my passion, my purpose. I became a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled individual. This transformation was not just about changing my circumstances, but about changing my perspective.

500 Words Essay on The Day I Decided to Change My Life

Introduction: the catalyst for change.

Life, in its vast complexity, is a journey of continuous transformation. The day I decided to change my life was not marked by a grand event, but by an epiphany that emerged from the mundane, revealing profound truths about my existence.

Awakening: The Realization

The day began like any other, ensnared in the relentless grind of routine. I was a student, juggling a part-time job, college assignments, and a social life. As I sat down to complete an assignment, I realized I was merely existing, not living. I was caught in the web of societal expectations, disconnected from my passions and dreams. This realization was a harsh wake-up call, a mirror reflecting the life I had been leading, devoid of personal fulfillment.

The Decision: Embracing Change

In the silence of that moment, I decided to change my life. The decision was not a dramatic resolution but a quiet commitment to myself. I understood that change is not an overnight phenomenon; it is a gradual process requiring patience, resilience, and a profound commitment to personal growth.

Defining the Path: Identifying the Changes

Implementation: walking the path.

The implementation stage was challenging. I started small, dedicating an hour each day to writing. I began exercising regularly and meditating to cultivate mental peace. I reached out to friends and family, investing time and energy in nurturing those relationships. There were setbacks, but each failure served as a stepping stone, propelling me further along my path of transformation.

Reflection: The Journey Thus Far

Conclusion: the continuity of change.

The day I decided to change my life was the beginning of a journey, not a destination. Change is a continuous process, an ongoing journey of self-improvement and growth. My story is not unique; it is a testament to the power of personal transformation, a narrative that resonates with anyone seeking to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. In the end, the decision to change is a personal one, a commitment to oneself, and a journey worth undertaking.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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What Are Life's Biggest Decisions?

New research reveals life’s most common big decisions..

Posted January 31, 2021 | Reviewed by Gary Drevitch

Every day you make thousands of decisions. Most of them are small and forgotten nearly as quickly as they’re made. Can you remember what you had for breakfast last Wednesday? However, every so often, you are faced with a decision that is neither inconsequential nor fleeting. Every so often you are faced with a big decision.

I have spent my career studying decisions. Most were of the small and forgotten variety. But a few years ago, I found myself amidst a number of big life decisions. It turned out that little of my research was helpful with these decisions. So, I began to ask people between the ages of 20 and 80 to tell me about their biggest life decisions.

What is a “big” decision?

A “big” decision is one in which you intentionally made a choice between two or more options knowing that the outcome would have a significant and often long-term impact for yourself or others. When asked to identify a big decision, two of the most frequent responses are “whether or not to get married” or “whether or not to have a child." These certainly fit the bill. What about the decision to attend a party where you happened to meet your future spouse? Not so much.

Given that you know big life decisions are coming it seems wise to get prepared. The question we’ll consider here is what will those big decisions be. I’ll answer this question first by describing the most common big life decisions, and second, by describing the most important big life decisions.

What are the most common big life decisions?

Some big decisions are very common. For example, the first big decision many people face is whether or not to go to university. Other big decisions are much more unique. In reading through thousands of different decisions, it was of primary importance to categorize them in a meaningful way. I identified nine different super-categories and fifty-eight different sub-categories.

The super-categories were: Career, Education , Family, Finances, Relationships, Relocation, Self-Destruction, Self-Development, and Other. The figure below shows the full list of sub-categories. These have been comprehensive enough that the “Other” category is rarely needed.

The first question of interest is which big decisions are the most common. Here are the top 20 most common big life decisions amongst all respondents as well as the percentage of respondents mentioning that decision at least once:

• Start a new job/position (or not) - 60%
• Get married (or not) - 59%
• Pursue a degree (or not) - 52%
• Have/adopt a child (or not) - 44%
• Buy a home (or not) - 37%
• Quit a job/position (or not) - 33%
• Move to a new state (or not) - 30%
• Choose where to study - 26%
• Get divorced (or not) - 24%
• Other - Family - 23%
• Other - Education - 23%
• Buy something (or not) - 23%
• Get a pet (or not) - 21%
• Begin a romantic relationship (or not) - 21%
• End romantic relationship (or not) - 20%
• Move to a new city (or not) - 18%
• Make a decision for your child (or not) - 18%
• Start a new business (or not) - 17%
• Care for a family member (or not) - 17%
• Get treatment/medicine (or not) - 15%

Of course, the most commonly mentioned big decisions depend on who you ask. The figure below shows the types of big decisions reported by different age groups.

What jumps out is that those who are younger are much more likely to indicate having made big decisions regarding education. We expect this because decisions about university tend to arise right out of high-school. By contrast, those who are older are much more likely to indicate having made big decisions regarding their career, including the final career decision of when to retire.

What are the biggest big life decisions?

The second question of interest is just how big these different decisions are. In the survey, I asked respondents to rate how big the decision felt at the time. Of the 20 most common big life decisions, the 10 considered biggest were:

• Get divorced (or not)
• Have/adopt a child (or not)
• Get married (or not)
• Move to a new state (or not)
• Make a decision for your child (or not)
• Buy a home (or not)
• End romantic relationship (or not)
• Other - Family
• Move to a new city (or not)
• Care for a family member (or not)

There were a couple of less common decisions that were also considered very big. Namely, the decision to end a life (or not) and the decision to accept/change sexuality (or not).

Stepping back, these results suggest that most people are trying to solve the same problems:

• What kind of education should I get?
• How should I earn a living?
• Where should I put down roots?
• What kind of family should I build?

There are a few important take-homes from this analysis. First, there is a lot of overlap in the reported biggest life decisions of people across demographic characteristics. This bodes well for those who are interested in making good decisions because much can be learned from the experience of others.

Second, big decisions are not limited to one or two areas of life. There are big decisions related to your education, career, relationships, family, finances, and where you live. Apart from education-related decisions, people of all ages agree that their biggest life decisions span all of these domains.

Finally, the biggest decisions are those that impact not just you but those around you. Getting married, getting divorced, and having a child all affect loved ones. As social beings, we often struggle to decide what is best not just for ourselves but those around us. It’s these kinds of decisions that we should reflect on the most.

The next post in this series is “ When do the Biggest Life Decisions Happen? ” In the meantime, if you'd like to see how your own big decisions compare to others, complete the survey yourself here and also check out the data.

Adrian R. Camilleri, Ph.D. , is a behavioral scientist who currently works at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Business School.

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Essay On Life Changing Decision

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Women , Education , Development , Family , Life , Parents , Home , Father

Published: 04/26/2021

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In this life each day comes with its ups and downs. Some of the obstacles we meet in life are short lived while others tend to take a good part of our life. Personally, I have had my share of obstacles some short-term while others are long term. Unto date my greatest obstacle has been my stepmother. She got married by my father after a disturbing divorce that left her serving twenty years in prison and the entire family was left in shreds. Like a thorn in the fresh my step mother was always on my case and puffed up any small mistake I did. This abrupt lifestyle change left me distressed, not only because of a new “mother” in my life but because my father could not believe a word I said about her new sweetheart. I started leaving home early for school and arriving home very late from school. I had to minimize the time I spend at home to avoid more conflicts. What I never knew is that this would result to more problems and I would change to become a sequential liar. On top of all these, I was force to a new religion (Hinduism) I never got a chance to attend my usual Presbyterian Church service. All these instant changes muddled me. I felt like a stranger in the house I had spent my entire life. Instead of allowing these predicaments to spiral my life uncontrollably, I decided that I would not let her to get on my dreams and future.

One life changing decision I made nine years ago which remains even today has turned shaped everything tremendously. The only thing that hasn’t changed is that my father’s second wife is still my stepmother. Thus far from family bond I saw much desired and which may never be and I have accepted that fact. I have accepted her as my mother; I even gladly call her by that title. I am grateful to have her around because I have also learnt mush about life from her. For one she has taught me humility, obedience, cost of freedom and sacrifice that comes with it. I am aware of why my father had mother divorced, I know why she is steal serving her sentence and I am sure not to go that line. I turned seventeen last month and I am sharing my final years with my stepmother before a join college and I often reflect on the moments we shared our bad times and our eventual good moments. True I have memories of distress and pain and I know through it all I have been mould to become a better person.

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Essay Samples on Life Changing Experience

Speaking of topics that you may consider as a student, there is a lot to choose from. It can be your college experience or volunteering work that you have done that became a life-changing experience or something that you have seen or understood as a child. In either case, see our free life changing experience essay example to see how you can shape your thoughts correctly and follow the structure of academic writing. It must have a strong introduction with a hook, at least two body paragraphs, and a conclusion part that sums up all the ideas and thoughts that you have outlined in your paper. Just be yourself and think about what has inspired you in life or what events have helped to shape who you are.

What Experiences Have Shaped My Life

What experiences have shaped your life? Life is a tapestry woven from the threads of experiences — each moment, encounter, and challenge contributing to the person we become. As I reflect on the experiences that have shaped my life, I am reminded of the transformative...

• Life Changing Experience

The Moment That Changed Everything: an Unpredictable Nature of Life

Life is an unpredictable journey, marked by various milestones and experiences that shape our paths. Among these, there are moments that stand out as pivotal, forever altering the course of our lives. These moments are often unexpected, yet their impact is profound. In this essay,...

An Unforgettable Day: A Chapter Etched in the Tapestry of My Life

Life is composed of a tapestry of moments, each weaving a unique story that contributes to the fabric of our existence. Among these moments, there are days that stand out as unforgettable, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and memories. This essay chronicles one...

• Personal Experience

An Important Event in My Life: a Reflection

Life is a series of moments that shape our journey, but some events leave an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. Among the myriad experiences, one event stands out as a pivotal moment that altered the course of my life. This essay delves into...

A Turning Point: An Event That Changed My Life Forever

Life is an unpredictable journey, shaped by a series of experiences that mold our character and perspective. Among these experiences, there are pivotal events that stand out as turning points, forever altering the course of our lives. This essay recounts an event that profoundly impacted...

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My Memorable Experience and How It Has Shaped My Perspective

Life is an array of moments, some fleeting and some etched into our memories forever. Among these moments, there are those that stand out, leaving an indelible mark on our hearts and minds. In this narrative essay, I delve into a memorable experience that has...

A Life Lesson I Have Learned and How It Continues to Shape Me

Life is a continuous journey of learning, filled with moments that impart wisdom and shape our perspectives. Some lessons are gentle whispers, while others are profound experiences that leave an everlasting imprint. In this narrative essay, I will share a significant life lesson that I...

• Life Lesson

A Life Changing Experience: The Transformative Power of Challenges

Life is a journey filled with moments that shape our perspectives, redefine our priorities, and ultimately change the course of our existence. A life-changing experience is one that leaves an indelible mark, altering our beliefs, values, and the way we perceive the world around us....

A Life-Changing Experience About Respect and Being Respectful

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Best topics on Life Changing Experience

1. What Experiences Have Shaped My Life

2. The Moment That Changed Everything: an Unpredictable Nature of Life

3. An Unforgettable Day: A Chapter Etched in the Tapestry of My Life

4. An Important Event in My Life: a Reflection

5. A Turning Point: An Event That Changed My Life Forever

6. My Memorable Experience and How It Has Shaped My Perspective

7. A Life Lesson I Have Learned and How It Continues to Shape Me

8. A Life Changing Experience: The Transformative Power of Challenges

9. A Life-Changing Experience About Respect and Being Respectful

10. “A Whisper Of AIDS” By Mary Fisher: The Life-Changing Experience

11. Our Life Experiences: Who We Are

12. The Potential Father Figures in Stevenson’s Treasure Island

13. The Fictional Recreation of Vasco Da Gama’s Trip

14. The Lessons Applied to Experiences Learned from Rich Dad, Poor Dad

15. My Life Changing Experience of Losing My Old Job and Changing Careers

• Career Goals
• Personality
• Perseverance
• Actions Speak Louder Than Words

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Life Potential

7 ways to make critical life decisions and choices.

If you’re unhappy with the results in your life right now, making the effort to change your decisions starting today will be the key to creating the person you want to be and the life you want to have in the future.

Most people don’t know the profound effects of making life choices. Often, we go through life oblivious to what thoughts we are thinking and what actions we are taking. Every single decision we make shapes our current reality. It shapes who we are because we habitually follow through with the decisions we make without even realizing it.

Of course, changing your decisions is no easy feat. It takes an immense amount of effort, courage, and dedication. But if you don’t do this, you may end up living a life you don’t even like.

Now, let’s talk about the 7 ways you can go about making life-changing decisions.

My Life Choices: 7 Ways To Help Make Critical Decisions

Let’s talk about the 7 ways you can go about making life-changing decisions.

1. Realize the Power of Decision Making

Before you start deciding and wondering what your life choices are, you must understand what a decision does.

All life decisions that you make cause a chain of events. When you decide to pick up a cigarette to smoke it, that decision might result in you picking up another one later. After a day, you may have gone through a pack without knowing it. But if you decide not to smoke that first cigarette and decide every five minutes to focus your attention somewhere else when you get that craving, your cravings will eventually subside, and you will become smoke-free.

It comes down to making that very first decision of deciding whether or not to pick up that cigarette.

Each decision you make in life is linked to certain individual factors, such as personality, anxiety, and level of stress. [1] Be aware of your current situation to help make a choice when you feel yourself leaning into a habit.

2. Go With Your Gut

Oftentimes, we take too much time to make a decision because we’re afraid of what’s going to happen. As a result of this, we go through things like careful planning , deep analysis, and pros and cons before deciding. This is a very time-consuming process.

Instead, learn to trust your gut instinct . For the most part, your first instinct is usually the correct one or the one you truly want to go with.

Your gut instinct is a form of information processing, and scientists call it the “predictive processing framework.” This helps prepare the brain to deal with your situation the best way possible. [2]

Even if you end up making a mistake, going with your gut still makes you a more confident decision-maker compared to someone who takes all day to decide.

3. Carry Your Decision Out

What’s considered a real decision? It’s when you decide on something, which is carried out through action. It’s pointless to make a decision and have it play out in your head that has no follow through. That’s the same as not making a decision at all.

If you want to make real changes in life, you have to make it a habit to apply action to your decision until it’s completed. By going through this so many times, you will feel more confident with accomplishing the next decision that you have in mind.

4. Tell Others About Your Decisions

There’s something about telling other people what we’re going to do that makes us follow through.

Research proves that you are more likely to meet goals if you share them with people, especially those with a “higher status” than you. [3]

For example, for the longest time, I’ve been trying to become an early riser. Whenever I tried to use my willpower, waking up early without falling back asleep felt impossible. So what I did was I went to a forum and made the decision to tell people that I would wake up at 6 AM and stay up . Within two days, I accomplished this because I felt a moral obligation to follow through with my words even though I failed the first time.

Did people care? Probably not, but just the fact that there might be someone else out there seeing if you’re telling the truth will give you enough motivation to follow through with your decision.

5. Learn From Your Past Decisions

Even after I failed to follow through with my decision the first time I told people, I didn’t give up. I asked myself, “What can I do this time to make it work tomorrow?”

The truth is, you are going to mess up at times when it comes to making decisions. Instead of beating yourself up over it, learn something from it.

• Ask yourself, what was good about the decision I made?
• What was bad about it?
• What can I learn from it to make a better decision next time?

Remember, don’t put so much emphasis on short-term effects; instead, focus on the long-term effects.

6. Maintain a Flexible Approach

I know this might sound counter-intuitive, but making a decision doesn’t mean you can’t be open to other options.

One of the major reasons why people don’t achieve their goals is because the ones they set are unattainable. [4]

As much as you can, be objective. If you realize a goal is unattainable, change it to something more realistic.

For example, let’s say you decided to lose ten pounds by next month through cardio. If something comes up, you don’t have to just do cardio. You can be open to losing weight through different methods of dieting as long as it helps you reach your goal in the end.

Don’t be stubborn to seek out only one way of making a decision. Embrace any new knowledge that brings you closer to accomplishing your initial decision.

7. Have Fun Making Decisions

Finally, enjoy the process every time you make a choice. I know decision-making might not be the most fun thing to do, but when you do it often, it becomes a game of opportunity.

You’ll learn a lot about yourself, and you’ll become more confident in yourself and when around others.  Anything you decide to do from this point on can have a profound effect later on. Opportunities are always waiting for you. Examine the decisions that you currently have in the day.

Bonus: 4 Reminders In Making Life Choices

Learning how to make a big decision is no easy feat. Here are bonus tips to keep in mind when making life choices with confidence.

1. Take the Time to Reflect

Once in a while, wherever you are in life, take the time to either sit with pen and paper or be alone on a walk or somewhere quiet and ask yourself some questions.

Leonardo da Vinci reportedly would ask himself hundreds of questions. He would not necessarily answer his questions but pose them for consideration. The artist’s thinking can be dubbed interdisciplinary. This means that it is grounded in many aspects. [5]

This technique allows you to get past the initial surface thoughts to access the deep-rooted ideas that are causing the issues/obstacles and beliefs that are holding you back.

Ask yourself questions like these:

• What do I love about my job?
• What makes my life choices so important?
• What do I love about my life?
• Do I love living here?
• Do I feel like I make enough time for myself, and what do I like to do with my time?
• If I was to write down the emotions I experience each week, would I describe them as mostly positive, mostly negative, or a balance of both? What impacts that?
• How do I respond to criticism?
• Am I good at telling people what I think?
• What do I feel holds me back?
• What would I love to achieve but fear doing and why do I feel I fear it?

The more questions you can ask, the better. Remember, this is not about knowing the answers or answering according to what you know or trust you can do, so be honest with yourself.

2. Challenge Your Own Beliefs

Challenge yourself to ask if your beliefs serve you well or hinder your success and happiness.

Are your beliefs keeping you in a comfort zone, so you don’t have to face what you fear? Or do your beliefs challenge you to go for things even if you fear them a little?

Challenging beliefs help you to see, acknowledge and accept what your beliefs are doing to you. Once you can see, acknowledge, and accept your beliefs and their impact, you will be in a position to take responsibility for them and change. You can’t change permanently until you go through this process.

This will lead you to another very important reminder for us all. You are allowed to change paths.  

If you liked being a teacher or a graphic designer and now want to be a police officer or a journalist, that’s fine. It is scary to make changes and choose a different path but to help you do this, remember this question: If I agree to stay like this, then what am I agreeing to?

You don’t need to know how you will achieve it, but you need to know you want to do it.

3. Accept Disagreements

If you think you are confident to be yourself and share what you think, post an unpopular opinion on social media (not an offensive, derogatory comment, just something you don’t like.) I did this recently (I’m happy to connect so that when you give this a go, you can tag me), and asked people to share their unpopular opinions.

Nothing heavy.

I just posted that I don’t like a certain cooking programme that airs here in the UK – The Great British Bake Off . I just don’t get why you’d watch a bunch of people mixing up ingredients to make a cake and then watch three hyper-critical judges tell you your cake has a soggy bottom. While my post had lots of likes, laughs, and loves, not even a quarter of people that liked the post commented.

Within a week of that post, wherever I went, someone would say, “I saw that post, my unpopular view is…..” I asked all of these people, “Why didn’t you post your view on my post?” To which I heard replies like:

• “I didn’t want to offend anyone.
• “I can’t post like you do.”
• “It’s not appropriate to do that.”
• “It could damage my reputation.”
• “You know what people are like.”

Headline news folks, saying you don’t like Christmas jumpers or Elvis is not against the law. While some may not agree with you, ultimately, nice humans accept that with billions of people on the planet, we aren’t going to agree on everything.

4. Look Forward

People need to spend less time looking back at what has happened and spend more time planning where they want to go.

For example, I created a long list of everything that could need to be done to set up Person A’s business, then we broke that down into a timeline to enable them to see their priorities.

So many people try to get to the end of a to-do list, not appreciating there will always be something new on the to-do list.

It’s not about clearing the to-do list, it’s about owning it. And to do that, you need to have a clearly defined plan. Consider everything you could do to make a decision or powerful life choice, and then narrow that down to the absolute priorities.

Do not deviate, and lastly, only ever have three to five actions on your to-do list. Clear them, and you can add the next three to five.

Person A didn’t just set up her own business, it went from her kitchen table to her own offices with staff within 2 years! Spend less time looking back and wondering and more time focusing on what you want and creating the plan to get you there.

Final Thoughts

Some decisions in life are harder to make, but with these 7 pieces of advice, you can trust yourself more even during the process. Making a decision is the only way to move forward. So remember, any decision is better than none at all.

Tips to Making Critical Life Decisions and Choices

Featured photo credit: Justin Luebke via unsplash.com

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• Essay Editor

Decision Making in Life

List of Essays

Personal decision making, defining our identities, charting life trajectories, embracing accountability, strategic planning, problem solving, risk management, the decision-making process.

• The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Decision Makingt

Self-Regulation

Social awareness, conflict resolution.

Life is a series of decisions, some small and seemingly inconsequential, others monumental and life-altering. Whether we're selecting a career path, choosing a life partner, or merely deciding on dinner, each choice shapes our life's trajectory. In this "decision making in life" essay, we'll delve into the importance of making informed decisions, understanding our identities, and the role of emotional intelligence in shaping our choices.

Every person stands at the crossroads of multiple decisions daily. The essence of personal decision-making lies in understanding who we are, what drives us, and what we value. When we possess this knowledge, we can align our choices with our intrinsic motivations, ensuring that our decisions are authentic and fulfilling.

Our identities are a fusion of our experiences, beliefs, values, and aspirations. Every decision we make, whether consciously or subconsciously, is rooted in these facets of our identity. Recognizing the core elements of our identity empowers us to make choices that resonate with our true selves, leading to a more fulfilled life.

The decisions we make are like waypoints on a map, guiding us on our life's journey. With each choice, we determine our direction, sometimes altering our path dramatically or subtly refining our route. By making informed, deliberate choices, we can ensure that our trajectory aligns with our goals and aspirations.

Decision-making is an act of responsibility. Recognizing the importance of decision-making in life means accepting that our choices have consequences. Embracing this accountability can empower us to make more informed, thoughtful decisions, considering not only immediate implications but long-term effects as well.

Strategic planning involves looking ahead, setting goals, and determining the best course of action to achieve those objectives. By employing strategic thinking in our personal lives, we can anticipate potential challenges, optimize opportunities, and navigate the intricate maze of life with foresight and purpose.

Every decision stems from a desire to solve a problem or seize an opportunity. Effective problem-solving skills enable us to dissect issues, identify potential solutions, and select the optimal course of action.

Life is unpredictable. While we can't foresee every outcome, we can manage potential risks. Assessing the pros and cons of a decision and anticipating potential pitfalls is essential. Risk management doesn't mean avoiding risks but making informed decisions, understanding potential outcomes, and being prepared for them.

Making a decision is a systematic process, and understanding its stages can help us make more informed choices.

• Identifying the Problem or Opportunity : Recognize the need for a decision. Is there a problem to solve or an opportunity to exploit?
• Gathering Information : Equip yourself with relevant facts, data, and insights. The better informed you are, the clearer your perspective will be.
• Evaluating Options : Weigh the pros and cons of each potential decision. Consider the implications of each choice and how they align with your values and goals.
• Making the Decision : After thorough evaluation, choose the best course of action.
• Reflecting and Learning : After a decision is made, assess the outcome. Were the results as expected? What lessons can be drawn for future decisions?

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Decision Making

Emotional intelligence (EI) plays a pivotal role in shaping our decisions. Possessing a high EI means understanding and managing our emotions and recognizing those of others, facilitating better interpersonal interactions and informed personal decisions.

Individuals with a high EI can regulate their emotions, preventing them from making impulsive decisions. This self-regulation ensures that choices are based on logic and reason rather than fleeting emotions.

Understanding others' emotions and perspectives aids in making decisions that consider broader implications, especially when multiple parties are involved.

When faced with conflicting views or choices, those with high EI can navigate the situation, find common ground, and arrive at mutually beneficial decisions.

The "importance of decision making in life essay" cannot be understated, for it offers a window into the intricate web of choices that shape our existence. Through this essay on the importance of decision making, we comprehend the pivotal role these choices play in defining who we are and the paths we tread. The "importance of decision making in our life essay" lies not just in highlighting the weight of every choice, but in emphasizing the need for introspection, foresight, and emotional intelligence. To truly grasp the essence of this "essay on importance of decision making in life," one must reflect on one’s own life choices and their ramifications. For, as we come to understand the importance of decision making in our life essay, we learn to appreciate the delicate balance of logic, emotion, strategy, and instinct that drives each decision, large or small.

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Home — Essay Samples — Life — Life Experiences — Life Changing Experience

Essays About Life Changing Experience

What makes a good life changing experience essay topic.

• Significance: Select a topic that holds personal significance to you. The more you connect with the topic, the more authentic and engaging your essay will be.
• Impact: Choose an experience that had a significant impact on your life. This could be a moment that completely changed your perspective or led you to make important decisions.
• Uniqueness: Avoid common or cliché topics. Instead, opt for something unique and unexpected that will capture the attention of your readers.
• Emotional connection: Select a topic that evokes strong emotions. Whether it's joy, sadness, or triumph, an emotionally charged topic will resonate with your audience.
• Growth and reflection: Focus on experiences that have taught you valuable lessons or prompted personal growth. This will allow you to explore your journey of self-discovery in your essay.
• Relevance: Choose a topic that is relevant to your intended audience. Consider what aspects of your experience will resonate with them and make your essay relatable.

Best life changing experience essay topics

• The moment I discovered my passion for [insert hobby or interest].
• Escaping the grips of fear: How I conquered my biggest phobia.
• A chance encounter that changed the course of my life.
• The transformative power of traveling solo.
• Overcoming adversity: How I triumphed over a major life setback.
• The day I realized the importance of self-love and acceptance.
• Unveiling my hidden talent: Discovering my artistic side.
• The unexpected friendship that taught me the true meaning of loyalty.
• From failure to success: How I turned my biggest mistake into an opportunity.
• The life-altering impact of volunteering in a third-world country.
• Embracing vulnerability: How sharing my story empowered me.
• The transformative power of forgiveness: Healing old wounds.
• Breaking free from societal expectations: Embracing my true identity.
• The day I let go of toxic relationships and embraced self-care.
• From scarcity to abundance: Overcoming financial struggles.
• The power of mentorship: How a guiding figure changed my life.
• A life-changing decision: Choosing passion over stability.
• The moment I discovered my purpose in life.
• The unexpected life lessons learned from a pet.
• Embracing my roots: Reconnecting with my cultural heritage.

Best life changing experience essay questions

• How did this experience shape your perspective on life?
• What were the major challenges you faced during this transformative journey?
• In what ways did this experience inspire personal growth and self-discovery?
• How did this life-changing event impact your relationships with others?
• What lessons did you learn from this experience that you will carry with you forever?
• How did this event challenge your beliefs or values, and what did you learn from that?
• What steps did you take to overcome obstacles and achieve personal transformation?
• Describe the emotions you felt throughout this life-changing experience and how they evolved over time.
• How did this experience alter your goals and aspirations for the future?
• Reflecting on this transformative journey, what advice would you give to others facing similar circumstances?

Life changing experience essay prompts

• Imagine you wake up tomorrow with the ability to speak a new language fluently. How would this newfound skill change your life and impact your interactions with others?
• Write about a time when you had to step out of your comfort zone and face a fear head-on. How did this experience shape your outlook on life?
• If you could relive one day from your past, which day would you choose and why? How would you make different choices or approach the situation differently?
• Reflect on a moment when you had to make a difficult decision that ultimately changed the course of your life. What factors did you consider, and how did this decision impact your journey?
• Describe a time when you found inspiration in an unexpected place. How did this newfound inspiration ignite a transformation in your life?

Writing life changing experience essay FAQ

Q: What is a life changing experience essay?

A: A life changing experience essay is a personal narrative that focuses on a specific event or moment that had a profound impact on the writer's life.

Q: How do I choose a topic for a life changing experience essay?

A: To choose a topic, reflect on significant moments in your life, considering their impact, uniqueness, emotional connection, and relevance to your audience.

Q: Can I write about a negative life-changing experience?

A: Absolutely! Life-changing experiences can be both positive and negative. The key is to focus on the growth and lessons learned from the experience.

Q: How can I make my essay stand out?

A: Select a unique and unexpected topic, evoke emotions, and incorporate personal reflection and growth. Avoid clichés and strive for authenticity.

Q: Can I use creative writing techniques in my life changing experience essay?

A: Yes! Creative writing techniques such as vivid descriptions, dialogue, and storytelling can enhance the impact and engagement of your essay.

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A: While it's not necessary, sharing the lessons you learned from your experience can add depth and significance to your essay.

Q: How long should a life changing experience essay be?

A: The length of your essay can vary depending on the requirements. However, aim for a concise and impactful essay that captures the essence of your experience.

Q: Can I seek feedback on my essay before submitting it?

A: Absolutely! Seeking feedback from trusted individuals can provide valuable insights and help you refine your essay for maximum impact.

Q: Can I include humor in my life changing experience essay?

A: Yes, if appropriate to your topic and writing style. However, ensure that the humor enhances the overall message and impact of your essay.

Q: How can I conclude my life changing experience essay effectively?

A: Conclude by summarizing the key lessons learned or personal growth experienced, leaving the reader with a lasting impression of your transformative journey.

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Life Changing Experience - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

A life changing experience is an event or circumstance that alters a person’s perspective, behavior, and/or values in a significant way. This can be a positive or negative experience that leads to personal growth, enlightenment, and a renewed understanding of the world around them. Such experiences often challenge one’s preconceptions and force them to reflect on their beliefs and the direction of their life. They can include major successes or failures, personal achievements or losses, moments of extreme joy or sadness, and encounters with people or places that fundamentally change who we are. These events can be transformative and formative, often changing the trajectory of a person’s life.

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When a Major Life Change Upends Your Sense of Self

• Madeline Toubiana,
• Trish Ruebottom,
• Luciana Turchick Hakak

Five research-backed strategies to help you embrace a new identity and move forward with confidence.

Whether we like it or not, change is a fact of life. Unfortunately, especially when a major change feels like it’s been forced on us, it can be easy to fall into identity paralysis: a feeling of stuck-ness in which your sense of self fails to keep up with your new role or situation. The authors conducted hundreds of interviews with people who had gone through various kinds of positive or negative identity shifts to explore why people experience identity paralysis and what can help to overcome it. Based on this research, they offer five tactical strategies to help anyone let go of the past, embrace a new identity, and move forward on a path towards growth.

Human beings have a complicated relationship with change. While it is both inevitable and essential for growth, change can also be deeply uncomfortable — especially if it feels involuntary, or out of our control.

• MT Madeline Toubiana is an associate professor and the Desmarais Chair in Entrepreneurship at Telfer School of Management at University of Ottawa. Her research program focuses on what stalls and supports social change. More specifically, she examines the role of emotions, entrepreneurship, institutional processes, and stigmatization in influencing the dynamics of social change.
• TR Trish Ruebottom is an associate professor at the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. Her research interests lie at the intersection of social innovation and organization, specifically exploring the ways we organize to create social change. Her recent work examines the role of entrepreneurship in stigmatized industries.
• LH Luciana Turchick Hakak is an assistant professor at the School of Business of the University of the Fraser Valley. Her research interests lie in the distinct but often complementary fields of diversity in the workplace, work-related identity, and stigmatized work, and she has specifically investigated these issues in the context of how immigrants fare in new work environments.

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Free Life-Changing Decision Making Essay Sample

Making life-changing decisions always goes a long way. This therefore means one has to decide carefully and critically so as not to regret in life. With respect to this statement, I am giving an example of an individual who could be emulated and resource full in life. This is with reference to the old Huntington who turns a new leaf unexpectedly.

For Mr. Huntington, life was all about artificial joy which took him straight to a lifestyle that almost cost him his life. Many of us might have lived a life that is closely similar to the life Huntington lived. Artificial joy was achieved through alcohol. Many will say it was as a result of loss of hope but others will strongly disagree. Mr. Huntington was a working class old man who cared less about his own family.

If I possessed a brewery, I would have paid Huntington to advertise products for me. Huntington ended up in hospital with a serious liver related illness which almost cost him his life. He had abused alcohol to an extent that could be best described by specialists. It took a very long time of special care for this old man to come to slight consciousness. This included rehabilitation as well total detoxification as a way of getting rid of the alcoholic substances that lay in his bloodstream.

If you met Mr. Huntington today, you would not tell whether he ever had an encounter with alcohol. Making a flexible approach to decision making might have helped the old man come back to himself.

The power of decision making lies deep down in the heart of the decision maker. Past decisions always play the biggest role in maintaining the decision making effectiveness. Therefore, life has a permanent attribute that we all call change. It is the only permanent thing. It goes hand in hand with our decisions.

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Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliations Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway, Bergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Software, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Affiliations Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway, Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting, University of Bergen, Norway

Contributed equally to this work with: Øystein A. Haaland, Kjell Arne Johansson

Roles Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

Roles Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Validation, Writing – review & editing

Affiliations Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Norway, Bergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway, Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting, University of Bergen, Norway

• Lars T. Fadnes, 
• Jan-Magnus Økland, 
• Øystein A. Haaland, 
• Kjell Arne Johansson

• Published: February 8, 2022
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889
• Peer Review
• Reader Comments

25 Mar 2022: Fadnes LT, Økland JM, Haaland ØA, Johansson KA (2022) Correction: Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLOS Medicine 19(3): e1003962. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003962 View correction

Interpreting and utilizing the findings of nutritional research can be challenging to clinicians, policy makers, and even researchers. To make better decisions about diet, innovative methods that integrate best evidence are needed. We have developed a decision support model that predicts how dietary choices affect life expectancy (LE).

Methods and findings

Based on meta-analyses and data from the Global Burden of Disease study (2019), we used life table methodology to estimate how LE changes with sustained changes in the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, refined grains, nuts, legumes, fish, eggs, milk/dairy, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages. We present estimates (with 95% uncertainty intervals [95% UIs]) for an optimized diet and a feasibility approach diet. An optimal diet had substantially higher intake than a typical diet of whole grains, legumes, fish, fruits, vegetables, and included a handful of nuts, while reducing red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and refined grains. A feasibility approach diet was a midpoint between an optimal and a typical Western diet. A sustained change from a typical Western diet to the optimal diet from age 20 years would increase LE by more than a decade for women from the United States (10.7 [95% UI 8.4 to 12.3] years) and men (13.0 [95% UI 9.4 to 14.3] years). The largest gains would be made by eating more legumes (females: 2.2 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.4]; males: 2.5 [95% UI 1.1 to 3.9]), whole grains (females: 2.0 [95% UI 1.3 to 2.7]; males: 2.3 [95% UI 1.6 to 3.0]), and nuts (females: 1.7 [95% UI 1.5 to 2.0]; males: 2.0 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.3]), and less red meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]) and processed meat (females: 1.6 [95% UI 1.5 to 1.8]; males: 1.9 [95% UI 1.7 to 2.1]). Changing from a typical diet to the optimized diet at age 60 years would increase LE by 8.0 (95% UI 6.2 to 9.3) years for women and 8.8 (95% UI 6.8 to 10.0) years for men, and 80-year-olds would gain 3.4 years (95% UI females: 2.6 to 3.8/males: 2.7 to 3.9). Change from typical to feasibility approach diet would increase LE by 6.2 (95% UI 3.5 to 8.1) years for 20-year-old women from the United States and 7.3 (95% UI 4.7 to 9.5) years for men. Using NutriGrade, the overall quality of evidence was assessed as moderate. The methodology provides population estimates under given assumptions and is not meant as individualized forecasting, with study limitations that include uncertainty for time to achieve full effects, the effect of eggs, white meat, and oils, individual variation in protective and risk factors, uncertainties for future development of medical treatments; and changes in lifestyle.

Conclusions

A sustained dietary change may give substantial health gains for people of all ages both for optimized and feasible changes. Gains are predicted to be larger the earlier the dietary changes are initiated in life. The Food4HealthyLife calculator that we provide online could be useful for clinicians, policy makers, and laypeople to understand the health impact of dietary choices.

Author summary

Why was this study done.

• Food is fundamental for health, and globally dietary risk factors are estimated to cause 11 million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life years annually.
• The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) provides summary measures of population health that are relevant when comparing health systems but does not estimate the impact of alterations in food group composition and respective health benefits.
• The EAT–Lancet commission did present a planetary diet, but it gives limited information on the health impact of other diets, and few people are able to adhere to strict health maximization approaches.

What did the researchers do and find?

• Our modeling methodology using meta-analyses, data from the Global Burden of Disease study and life table methodology showed that life expectancy (LE) gains for prolonged changes from typical Western to optimizing diets could translate into more than a decade for young adults.
• The largest gains would be made by eating more legumes, whole grains and nuts, and less red and processed meat.
• For older people, the gains would be smaller but substantial. Even the feasibility approach diet indicates increased LE by 7% or more for both sexes across age groups.

What do these findings mean?

• The online Food4HealthyLife calculator ( https://food4healthylife.org/ ) enables the instant estimation of the effect on LE of a range of dietary changes.
• Understanding the relative health potential of different food groups could enable people to make feasible and significant health gains.
• The Food4HealthyLife calculator could be a useful tool for clinicians, policy makers, and laypeople to understand the health impact of dietary choices.

Citation: Fadnes LT, Økland J-M, Haaland ØA, Johansson KA (2022) Estimating impact of food choices on life expectancy: A modeling study. PLoS Med 19(2): e1003889. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889

Academic Editor: Luigi Fontana, The University of Sydney, AUSTRALIA

Received: September 20, 2021; Accepted: December 11, 2021; Published: February 8, 2022

Copyright: © 2022 Fadnes et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting information files.

Funding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Abbreviations: 95% UI, 95% uncertainty interval; FA, feasibility approach diet; GBD, Global Burden of Disease study; HR a , alternative hazard ratio; LE, life expectancy; OD, optimized diet; TW, typical Western diet

Introduction

Food is fundamental for health. Globally, dietary risk factors are estimated to cause 11 million deaths and 255 million disability-adjusted life years annually [ 1 ]. Still, navigating within the nutritional research field can be overwhelming to clinicians, policy makers, and even researchers. Since 2017, about 250,000 scientific articles on nutritionally related topics have been published ( S1 Text ). Fortunately, several recent meta-analyses have summarized the impact on the risk of premature deaths for various food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and refined grains, nuts and legumes, fish, eggs, milk/dairy, red and processed meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages [ 2 – 6 ].

The Global Burden of Disease study (GBD) provides summary measures of population health that are relevant when comparing health systems [ 7 ]. GBD includes population-level estimates for life years lost due to some dietary risk factors [ 8 ], but such aggregated health metrics have little relevance when making individual decisions. The EAT–Lancet commission did present a planetary diet that presented a diet balancing health and environmental perspectives [ 9 ], but it gives limited information on the health impact of other diets, and few people are able to adhere to strict health maximization approaches [ 10 ]. Although the planetary diet and GBD risk factor estimates indicate directions of changes in food intake that are useful, more comprehensive models estimating the impact of various dietary choices on lifetime health are needed.

To better understand the impact on health of dietary choices, we have developed methodology that integrates and presents current knowledge. The availability of such methodology is essential in order to make informed dietary choices at all levels from individuals to policy makers [ 11 ]. In this paper, we present new methodology that allows for the estimation of how different diets affect sex- and age-specific life expectancy (LE).

The LE at a certain age is the number of years an individual at that age is expected to live before they die given a set of age-specific mortality rates. We used mortality rates extracted from GBD 2019 (published in 2020) [ 12 ]. Johansson and colleagues presented a framework for measuring LE from disease onset for specific conditions [ 13 ]. We modified this approach by considering “change in diet” as a condition that may have both a positive and a negative health impact. Conceptually, our approach can be summed up as follows:

• Let LE age (D) be the age-specific LE with prolonged change to diet D.
• LE age (D) is calculated using standard age-specific lifetable methodology, where annual mortality rates are adjusted according to the selected diet (i.e., mortality rates after the age when the diet is changed are multiplied with the hazard rate corresponding to the change). The baseline diet yields LE age (D 0 ).
• Life years gained (or lost) because of change from the baseline diet to diet D is now LE age (D)–LE age (D 0 ).

A more detailed description of the methodology to estimate background LE is given in Johansson and colleagues’ paper [ 13 ].

Recent meta-analyses provided dose–response data on the impact of various food groups on mortality for the following food groups: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, eggs, milk/dairy, refined grains, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages [ 2 – 5 ]. To identify meta-analyses on these food groups, a search in PubMed dated 26 April 2021 was screened and data extracted from these (see search string in S2 Text ). When several meta-analyses were available, we opted for the most comprehensive (usually the latest meta-analyses) with dose–response relationship data unless later less comprehensive meta-analyses argued well for excluding studies. For white meat, we did not have a complete dose–response curve, but a meta-analysis has suggested that the effect on mortality is neutral [ 14 ], which also was the case for small amounts of added oils [ 15 ]. Most of the studies were adjusted for intake of other food groups and factors such as smoking, exercise, body mass index, age, and sex. Each of the food groups were considered as individual protective or risk factors.

Diets vary between individuals and settings, but as the baseline in our model, we used a “typical Western diet” (TW) based on consumption data from the United States and Europe ( S3 Text ). The optimized diet (OD) values were set where dose–response data on consumption indicated no additional mortality gain in further increasing or decreasing intake (i.e., the impact on mortality plateaued). As a compromise between the TW and the optimal diet, we also considered a feasibility approach diet (FA), which was chosen as the midpoint for each food group between the typical diet and OD.

In each case, dietary intake was improved from the TW through feasible to optimal levels (rounded off):

• Whole grains (fresh weight): TW 50 g, FA 137.5 g, and OD 225 g (e.g., 2 thin slices of rye bread and 1 small bowl of whole grain cereal, and some whole grain rice). For whole grains, 225 g of fresh weight corresponds to about 75 g dry weight, equivalent of 7 servings/day);
• Vegetables: TW 250 g, FA 325 g, and OD 400 g (5 servings, e.g., 1 big tomato, 1 sweet pepper, mixed salad leaves, a half avocado, and a small bowl of vegetable soup);
• Fruits: TW 200 g, 300 g, and OD 400 g (5 servings, e.g., 1 apple, banana, orange, kiwi, and a handful of berries);
• Nuts: TW 0 g, FA 12.5 g, and OD 25 g (1 handful of nuts);
• Legumes: TW 0 g, FA 100 g, and OD 200 g (e.g., 1 big cup of soaked beans/lentils/peas);
• Fish: TW 50 g, FA 125 g, and OD 200 g (e.g., 1 big slice of herring);
• Eggs: TW 50 g, FA 37.5 g, and OD 25 g (half an egg);
• Milk/dairy: TW 300 g, FA 250 g, and OD 200 g (e.g., 1 cup of yoghurt);
• Refined grains: TW 150 g, FA 100 g, OD 50 g (e.g., refined grains in bread if mixed whole/refined bread);
• Red meat: TW 100 g, FA 50 g, and OD 0 g;
• Processed meat: TW 50 g, FA 25 g, and OD 0 g;
• White meat: TW 75 g, FA 62.5 g, and OD 50 g;
• Sugar-sweetened beverages: TW 500 g, FA 250 g, and OD 0 g;
• Added plant oils: TW 25 g, FA 25 g, and OD 25 g.

Other food groups were not considered. To avoid reporting estimates for insufficiently studied and unsustainable diet alternatives, the model does not report estimates if the total energy consumption for the diet input was below 4,000 kJ/day or above 16,000 kJ/day. Energy estimates per food group were obtained from a food content database [ 16 ]. The energy estimates were 8,085 kJ/day for TW, 7,850 kJ/day for FA, and 7,615 kJ/day for OD. The effect of energy restriction on longevity was not considered.

Health gains from diet changes are generally linked to reduction in cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes mortality [ 2 – 5 ], all among the leading causes of mortality globally [ 17 ]. It has earlier been assumed that reversing the process of cardiovascular disease following reductions in major cardiovascular risk factors would require decades, but it has later been argued that cardiovascular disease mortality can change more quickly within a few years [ 18 , 19 ]. For cancers, the time perspective is likely to be longer. It has been indicated for associations between fruit and vegetable consumption and risk of lung cancer that associations for studies with more than 10 years of follow-up on fruits and vegetables are stronger than those with less than 10 years [ 20 ]. More evidence on the time perspective is available for risk factors such as tobacco, where meta-analyses for duration of smoking has indicated that associations between duration of tobacco smoking and risk of lung cancer is substantially higher with 50 years of smoking than 20 years of smoking [ 21 ]. To balance between the time perspectives related to both cardiovascular disease and cancer while weighting in the morbidity burden, we assumed that time to full effect was 10 years with a gradual, linear increase in effect (e.g., the effect was 20% of maximum after 2 years). We also conducted sensitivity analyses with 5 years, 30 years, and 50 years to full effect.

In addition to the 95% UIs, we report sensitivity adjusted uncertainty intervals where the central estimate of the model is based on HR 0 (i.e., m = 1), the lower interval is when m = 0.5 as and similarly the upper interval when m = 1.5.

Data on background mortality from 2019 for specific countries and regions were obtained from the freely available GBD cause of death database [ 12 ]. We extracted data for the United States, China, and Europe, as these are the regions from where most of the nutritional studies providing mortality estimates originate. Region-specific estimates on total mortality rates in 5-year age groups were also available from GBD. These were converted to single-year age-specific mortality rates in our model.

To assess the quality of evidence for each food group from the meta-analyses, we use NutriGrade, a version of GRADE adapted to nutritional studies [ 22 ]. Certainty of evidence is categorized as “very low” (0 to 3.99), “low” (4 to 5.99), “moderate” (6 to 7.99), or “high” (8 to 10). The quality of evidence was “high” for whole grains (NutriGrade score: 8), “moderate” for fish (7.75), processed meat (7.5), nuts (7), red meat (6.5), legumes (6), and dairy (6), “low” for vegetables (5.8), fruits (5.8), SSBs (5.5), and refined grains (5), and “very low” for eggs (3.8) and white meat (2). We further constructed an overall quality score by taking the mean of the NutriGrade scores for each of the food groups weighted by their absolute contribution to LE. The quality of the meta-analyses was assessed with the AMSTAR–2 tool [ 23 ]. The quality of the meta-analyses was rated as high for studies on all included meta-analyses [ 2 – 5 , 15 ], except for the meta-analysis on white meat that was rated as moderate [ 14 ].

We used the R package Shiny to create a web application ( https://food4healthylife.org/ ) that enables the estimation of the effect of a range of dietary changes ( S1 Fig ). In the left food panel (i.e., the diet before change), the defaults are set to the “typical diet.” The right food panel represents diet after change. Clicking the “ Optimal ” or “ Feasible ” button, the right panel of sliders are adjusted to the 2 OD and FA diet patterns. In this paper, we present estimated gain in LE when changing from a typical diet to OD or FA for 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-year-old adults from the United States, China, and Europe. Graphs including forest plots are calculated in Stata SE 17.0 (including the admetan package).

Only publicly available data sources have been used, and thus no ethical permission is required. We adhered to the transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis (TRIPOD; see S1 TRIPOD Checklist ) [ 24 ].

In this section, we will focus on the United States, but the results for China and Europe were generally very similar (can be found in S2 – S15 Figs). Table 1 and Fig 1 estimate the life expectancies at different ages associated with a typical Western diet, a feasibility approach diet, and an optimized diet. As seen, an increase in LE of up to 13.0 years (95% UI 9.4 to 14.3) is possible for male 20-year-olds from the United States by sustained dietary changes, and even for 80-year-olds, gains of 3.4 years (95% UI 2.7 to 3.9) are possible. Corresponding numbers for 20- and 80-year-old females are 10.7 years (95% UI 8.4 to 12.3) and 3.4 years (95% UI 2.6 to 3.8). Still, prolonged dietary changes at age 20 years would give about 48% higher gain in LE as changes starting from age 60 years, and 3 times the gains when compared with changes starting at age 80 years (Figs 2 and 3 ). Similar findings were seen for China and the United States. Changing from a typical diet to the feasibility approach diet would also give substantial gains for all age groups.

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Gain in LE when changing from a typical Western diet to a feasibility approach or optimized diet is also indicated.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889.t001

Estimates per food groups and total change in LE is presented with uncertainty intervals (UI). *The meta-evidence is high for whole grains; moderate for fish, nuts, legumes, processed and red meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages; and low for and very low for white meat. LE, life expectancy; 95% UI, 95% uncertainty interval.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889.g001

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003889.g002

Right plot presents similar estimates with a feasible approach* diet (time to full effect: 10 years). * For the optimal diet and feasibility approach diet, the following intakes were used: 225 g and 137.5 g whole grains (fresh weight), 400 g and 325 g vegetables, 400 g and/ 300 g fruits, 25 g and 12.5 g nuts, 200 g and/ 100 g legumes, 200 g and 100 g fish, 25 g and 37.5 g eggs, 200 g and 250 g milk/dairy, 50 g and 100 g refined grains, 0 g and 50 g red meat, 0 g and 25 g processed meat, 50 g and 62.5 g white meat, 0 g and 250 g sugar-sweetened beverages, and 25 g and 25 g added plant oils. Note that lines for LE for red and processed meat changes are overlapping and similarly also for white meat and added oils. LE, life expectancy.

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When changing from a typical Western to an optimized diet, the largest gains in LE could be made by eating more legumes, whole grains, and nuts, as well as eating less red meat and processed meat, with gradual reduction in effect with increasing age ( Fig 2 and S2 Table ). For a 20-year-old from the United States, LE would increase by more than 1 year for each of these food groups. Fruits and vegetables as well as fish had substantial positive impact, but the intake in a typical diet is closer to an optimal intake than for legumes, whole grains, and nuts.

S3 Table indicates that when increasing time to full effect from 10 years to 30 years, gains in LE were reduced by less than 1 year for 20-year-olds (i.e., by 4% to 7%), but the gains for 60-year-olds and 80-year-olds were reduced by 35% to 71%. Conversely, decreasing time to full effect from 10 years to 5 years ( S16 Fig , S3 Table ), health gains for 20-year-old females and males increased by 0.1 to 0.2 years (i.e., by 1% to 2%), whereas gains increased by 0.5 to 0.8 years for 60-year-olds (i.e., 6% to 9%) and 1.2 to 1.3 years for 80-year-olds (i.e., 35% to 38%) ( S17 Fig ).

The overall quality of evidence was moderate for the optimized diet (NutriGrade score: 6.5) and identical for the feasibility approach diet (NutriGrade score: 6.5).

In this paper, we present a method for estimating the impact of food choices on LE. This method has been implemented in a tool that is freely available online—the Food4HealthyLife calculator. Our results indicate that for individuals with a typical Western diet, sustained dietary changes at any age may give substantial health benefits, although the gains are the largest if changes start early in life.

Eating more legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and eating less red meat and processed meats were estimated to be the most effective ways to increase LE for individuals with a typical diet. This reflects a combination of the health effect for each food group combined with the difference between typical and optimal intakes. Meta-analyses have also shown strong positive health effects from fruits, vegetables, and fish [ 2 , 5 ]. However, for these food groups, the typical intake was closer to optimal intake than for other food groups, particularly for vegetables. One could argue that for some food groups such as legumes, an optimal diet requires large intake and that such intakes might be unfeasible for many. Thus, we have also presented feasibility approach diet estimates that are closer to what we may realistically expect from diet changes of most people in most settings where ideals often are difficult to follow in practice. However, for most food groups, our estimates in the feasibility approach are within ranges that are common in cohort studies. There are also substantial individual variations in diet profile, which has impact on the potential health gain for each food group. As an example, some people have diets that are relatively similar to optimized diets and can expect less additional benefits from optimizing diets compared to individuals with a typical Western diet. Our food outcome calculation could take such variations at baseline into account by using different assumptions on nutrition starting points beyond what is presented here as default for a typical “Western diet.”

For several of the food groups, more than one meta-analysis is available. For red and processed meats, a more recent meta-analysis from 2019 than the one used in our estimates has been published [ 6 ]. However, this did not present dose–response data for red and processed meats separately, and the supplemental data for these groups combined indicated similar results as for the meta-analysis by Schwingshackl and colleagues. It is worthy to note that meta-analyses indicate worse outcomes on LE from processed meat than nonprocessed red meat when compared by weight, but if the consumption of unprocessed red meat consumption is double as high as for processed meat, the total effect is probably similar. For fish, whole grains, and legumes, more recent but smaller and less comprehensive meta-analyses were omitted from our data [ 25 – 27 ]. These also provided similar effect estimates to the estimates we used. For some food groups such as dairy products, fruits, and vegetables, systematic reviews of meta-analyses were available and supported the selection of the data sources [ 28 , 29 ]. For added oils, there were mixed results depending on type of oil, where monounsaturated fatty acids such as olive oil have been reported to have beneficial effects [ 15 , 30 , 31 ]. As most added oils contain a combination of different types of fatty acids, the general trend for health impact of added oils is often neutral [ 15 ]. Many of the background studies were adjusted for other food groups. It can be argued that food groups are interrelated and thus not independent. Studies presenting outcome measures with and without adjustment for other food groups have generally indicated minimal changes in the outcome measures [ 32 – 34 ]. To account for this possibility, we added sensitivity analyses model adjustment.

Our method has several strengths. First, our food impact estimates are from the most comprehensive and recent meta-analyses presenting dose–response data on diet patterns and mortality. We also have developed methodology that integrates different aspects such as time to full effects and potentially some degree of overlapping with sensitivity analyses and uncertainty intervals.

Our method also has several limitations. Meta-analyses present associations and some caution must be used when interpreting these. Still, meta-analyses are in many cases the best available evidence available as trials on diets could be challenging and, in several cases, could be unethical. Thus, emphasized several sensitivity analyses. For some food groups, meta-analyses presenting dose–response data were not available, which yield more uncertainty in model output.

The meta-analyses used in these data had high quality [ 23 ], while the meta-evidence ranged from very low (eggs and white meat) to high (whole grains) with most in the moderate quality category [ 22 ]. The overall meta-evidence was estimated as moderate for the optimal and feasibility approach diets. Still, the quality of the evidence for diet changes mostly involving eggs and white meat would be lower than when diet changes are dominated by whole grains, fish, processed meat, and nuts. This is reported in the tool for transparency. For added oils, it is likely that olive oils that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids have beneficial effects and are probably superior to several other added oils [ 15 , 30 , 31 ]. However, we did not have sufficient data to present different oils separately.

GBD provides background epidemiological data for the populations we have presented but involves a combination of background data and modeling. We have no information on the impact on past morbidity experienced due to disease, and this was therefore not included in the model, although different health profiles may be associated with different impact of food choices. Thus, our estimates are based on population distributions of health indicators and do not account for differences in risk factors nor genetic vulnerability. The time perspective of diet change adds another layer of uncertainty. The duration of changes in the studies varies, and it is likely that short-term changes yield weaker effects than those presented in this article. We assumed 10 years to achieve full effects while conducting sensitivity analyses for both 5, 30, and 50 years. Still, progress in development of medical treatments and continuous changes in lifestyle can affect the impact of diet on LE and thus add uncertainty to our estimates [ 35 ]. Thus, the methodology is not meant as individualized forecasting of life years gained, but rather population estimates under certain assumptions.

Even though the diet approaches were relatively similar in energy, energy differences may have played a role in the relationships presented, and meta-analyses indicate that patterns in line with the optimal diet are likely to reduce the risk of obesity/overweight [ 36 ]. From the literature, we also know that one’s diet has a large impact on health-related quality of life [ 2 – 4 , 36 – 39 ]. Although we do not model nonfatal effects, LE is correlated with healthy life years. Most of the background data are adjusted for factors such as smoking, exercise, age, and sex. However, some residual confounding may still affect the estimates. Further, we have not considered any long-term health consequences that are due to sustained excessive intake of food with high levels of toxins, such as dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, which are relevant for some types of fish and sea foods [ 40 , 41 ]. This is more likely to overestimate than underestimate effect sizes. There is also a risk of overadjustment as some of the studies included in meta-analyses adjusted for potential intermediate factors. This may contribute to underestimating the full impact on dietary changes on health. Model development often have iterative improvements that will gradually give more precise estimates; however, the main messages are likely to be robust. Our sensitivity analyses indicate how the estimated changes in LE due to dietary changes vary if the true effects are over- or underestimated. Even the most conservative approaches indicate strong effects.

In conclusion, sustained change from a typical to an optimized diet from early age could translate into an increase in LE of more than 10 years. Gains are reduced substantially with delayed initiation of changes, particularly when approaching the age of 80 years. An increase in the intake of legumes, whole grains, and nuts, and a reduction in the intake of red meat and processed meats, contributed most to these gains. Fruits and vegetables also have a positive health impact, but for these food groups, the intake in a typical Western diet is closer to the optimal intake than for the other food groups. The Food4HealthyLife calculator could be a useful tool for both clinicians, policy makers, and laypeople to understand impact of various food choices.

Supporting information

S1 text. medline/pubmed search to estimate number of nutritional articles per year..

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S2 Text. String used in PubMed to identify meta-analyses for setting hazard ratios.

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S3 Text. Estimated intake of various food groups in the United States and Norway.

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S1 Table. Hazard ratios (with uncertainty intervals) for various food groups with uncertainty limits (orange/red labels).

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S2 Table. Increase in LE for each food group change for 20- and 60-year-old female and male adults from the United States, who change from a TW to OD or FA.

FA, feasibility approach diet; LE, life expectancy; OD, optimized diet; TW, typical Western diet.

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S3 Table. Absolute and relative change in LE with delay to full effects of 10 (default), 5, 30, and 50 years for 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-year-old females and males from the United States.

LE, life expectancy.

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S1 Fig. Example of calculator input and output.

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S2 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old female adults from China who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet with changes indicated in grams.

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S3 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old male adults from China who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet with changes indicated in grams.

Estimates per food group and change in LE are presented with 95% UIs. LE, life expectancy; 95% UI, 95% uncertainty interval.

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S4 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old female adults from Europe who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet with changes indicated in grams.

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S5 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old male adults from Europe who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet with changes indicated in grams.

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S6 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old female adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S7 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-year-old male adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S8 Fig. Expected life years gained for 40-year-old female adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S9 Fig. Expected life years gained for 40-year-old male adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S10 Fig. Expected life years gained for 60-year-old female adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S11 Fig. Expected life years gained for 60-year-old male adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S12 Fig. Expected life years gained for 80-year-old female adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S13 Fig. Expected life years gained for 80-year-old male adults from the United States who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized or feasible approach diet.

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S14 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-year-old male and female adults from the US, China, and EU, who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized* (labeled “Optimal”) or a feasibility approach diet* (labeled “Feasible”).

Estimates for change in LE is presented with 95% UIs. *For the optimal diet and feasibility approach diet, the following intakes were used: 225/137.5 g whole grains (fresh weight), 400/325 g vegetables, 400/300 g fruits, 25/12.5 g nuts, 200/100 g legumes, 200/125 g fish, 25/37.5 g eggs, 200/250 g milk/dairy, 50/100 g refined grains, 0/50 g red meat, 0/25 g processed meat, 50/62.5 g white meat, 0/250 g sugar-sweetened beverages, and 25/25 g added plant oils. **F20 indicates 20-year-old females, and M60 indicates 60-year-old males. Uncertainty intervals for some food groups have rounding differences compared to corresponding S2 Table due to symmetrical adjustment in the admetan package in Stata. EU, Europe; LE, life expectancy; US, United States; 95% UI, 95% uncertainty interval.

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S15 Fig. Expected life years gained for 20-, 40-, 60-, and 80-year-old male and female adults from the US, China, and EU, who change from a typical Western diet to an optimized* (labeled “Optimal”) or a feasibility approach diet* (labeled “Feasible”).

Estimates for change in LE is presented with sensitivity adjusted uncertainty intervals using lower interval as model adjustment of 0.5 and upper interval as model adjustment of 1.5. *For the optimal diet and feasibility approach diet, the following intakes were used: 225/137.5 g whole grains (fresh weight), 400/325 g vegetables, 400/300 g fruits, 25/12.5 g nuts, 200/100 g legumes, 200/125 g fish, 25/37.5 g eggs, 200/250 g milk/dairy, 50/100 g refined grains, 0/50 g red meat, 0/25 g processed meat, 50/62.5 g white meat, 0/250 g sugar-sweetened beverages, and 25/25 g added plant oils. **F20 indicates 20-year-old females, and M60 indicates 60-year-old males. Uncertainty intervals for some food groups have rounding differences compared to corresponding S2 Table due to symmetrical adjustment in the admetan package in Stata. EU, Europe; LE, life expectancy; US, United States.

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S16 Fig. Expected increase in LE for optimizing different food groups with diet changes initiating from various ages between 20 and 80 years of age (time to full effect: 5 years).

* For the optimal diet and feasibility approach diet, the following intakes were used: 225 g and 137.5 g whole grains (fresh weight), 400 g and 325 g vegetables, 400 g and/ 300 g fruits, 25 g and 12.5 g nuts, 200 g and/ 100 g legumes, 200 g and 100 g fish, 25 g and 37.5 g eggs, 200 g and 250 g milk/dairy, 50 g and 100 g refined grains, 0 g and 50 g red meat, 0 g and 25 g processed meat, 50 g and 62.5 g white meat, 0 g and 250 g sugar-sweetened beverages, and 25 g and 25 g added plant oils. LE, life expectancy.

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S17 Fig. Expected increase in LE for optimizing different food groups with diet changes initiating from various ages between 20 and 80 years of age (time to full effect: 30 years).

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S1 TRIPOD Checklist. Checklist for prediction model development.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Arngeir Berge for assistance with images.

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