Healthy living - protection against crime: how your lifestyle choices help keep you out of harm's way.

Megan has been working as a magazine editor in the heart of New York City for more than two decades now, and she has never been victimized by crime. Chris has worked all over Los Angeles for eight years as a freelance photographer, with only one minor incident of his car being vandalized. Joanne has worked as a visiting nurse in four Midwestern states without running afoul of crime. What these and so many other relatively crime-free people share is a healthy lifestyle.

Research keeps pouring in about how a healthy lifestyle enhances our quality of life and reduces the risk of most diseases. The surprising power of nutrition, exercise, a positive outlook, and wholesome life routines continues to be documented scientifically. And there is a further reward, usually overlooked healthy lifestyles turn out to be potent protection against crime.

A close study of thousands of crime incidents shows that virtually no one runs the "average" risks. Everyone's risks are either greater or far less, depending mostly on what they themselves do and don't do. A healthy lifestyle leads us away from high-risk factors, just as a low-fat diet leads us away from clogged arteries. Here are eight ways this crime protection works:

1. Healthy lifestyle people don't spend much time in high-crime districts, because their daily round of activity seldom brings them there. This one factor alone probably cuts their risks in half. Crime can happen anywhere these days. But police maps show that incidents are sometimes 20 fumes more frequent in mean street districts, especially at night and on weekends.

2. Health-minded people spend little time in bars, dance clubs, or casinos, where crime incidents are far more frequent than in churches, sports facilities, health clubs, or support groups.

3. They are not into drug or alcohol use, which studies found to be present in roughly two thirds of all crimes. For instance, heavy drinking is present in the majority of aggravated assaults and date rapes.

4. Because "birds of a feather flock together," their network of friends and acquaintances is usually much less crime-prone in attitudes and behavior. It's safer to live around others who share a healthy lifestyle, because they don't put you at risk while doing "their thing." The people they introduce you to will be pretty safe bets. And the peer pressure" from a health-minded circle influences you in the positive direction of life-affirming notions, emotions, and actions.

5. Their alert, purposeful vitality telegraphs to would be culprits, who will then usually pass them by for easier-looking prey. This is verified by "who would you pick to mug?" studies of convicted robbers.

6. Because they shun illegal goods and services, healthy lifestyle people hardly ever come into contact with habitual crime figures and their entourage. So they don't risk being in the way of spillover crimes, such as accidental shootings and opportunistic thefts.

7. Because of their more positive, less contentious outlook, they get along better with others. So they move through their days surrounded by more good will than ill will. We know from convict interviews that there is often a vengeful aspect to many crimes, from vandalism to burglaries to homicides.

8. Finally, healthy lifestyle people are literally in far better shape to recover more quickly and completely from any victimization that does befall them. Positive habits of body, mind, and spirit seem to greatly enhance human resilience.