Renowned health and longevity expert Dr. Nick Coatsworth has identified ten prevalent issues that are impacting the health of Australians, along with practical strategies that could significantly improve well-being by 2026.

1. Lack of Deep Sleep

Many individuals mistakenly believe that the number of hours spent sleeping is the best gauge of restfulness. However, the quality and structure of sleep are far more important. Research indicates that those who fail to achieve adequate deep sleep often report lower quality-of-life scores.

Modern wearables can track sleep patterns, providing insights into the duration of REM (rapid eye movement) and deep sleep stages. If these metrics are lacking, it might be beneficial to undergo a professional sleep study.

2. Insomnia and Device Usage Before Bed

2. Insomnia and devices before bed

Before seeing anyone about sleep issues, consider what might be keeping you awake.

Scrolling within one hour of hitting the hay would be my number one habit to break to combat insomnia.

Here are the 10 biggest culprits health and longevity expert Dr Nick Coatsworth (pictured) says are sabotaging Australians’ health in 2026 –  and how you can fight back. 

Dr Nick Coatsworth says avoiding doomscrolling in the hour before bed is the single most effective step for combating insomnia 

Insomnia is a stressful symptom and can derail all our New Year’s health resolutions. 

Imagine trying to go for that early morning run after lying awake in bed for hours the night before. 

3. Alcohol 

We’re always talking about alcohol, but what is it that actually gets in the way of good health? 

There are many long-term harms, such as increased cancer risk and dementia from heavy use, but it’s the short-term benefits of reducing alcohol consumption that will help us go easy on the grog. 

Alcohol can cause us to eat more, disrupt sleep structure, and decrease motivation to exercise the next day. 

Finding ways to reduce consumption – such as ‘zebra drinking’ (alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks) and stopping drinking two hours before sleep to allow the body to metabolise the alcohol – are two strategies that can help without requiring complete abstinence. 

Whatever we do this year for our health, if we’re not moving constantly during waking hours, it’s a problem, says Dr Coatsworth. 

4. Pesticides

The blueberry controversy in 2025, which led to restrictions on the use of dimethoate products for blueberry growers, highlights the potential health issues associated with pesticides in fresh food.

Regulators stepped in after fresh assessments showed that people are eating far more berries than before, raising the risk of chemical exposure even when farmers followed the rules. 

We all need to consume more fresh produce while keeping ourselves safe from unknowingly ingesting higher-than-normal amounts of chemicals.

For those who can afford it, organic is the way to go. But if you have to feed a family like me, thorough washing of vegetables and fruit before consumption is an important way to reduce surface residue from spray-on pesticides.

5. Gut health and processed foods

Basically, anything that doesn’t have a short shelf life – that is, it doesn’t go off – can be a potential problem here.

We know that processed foods disrupt gut health by changing the balance of bacteria in our gut microbiome.

Alcohol will cause us to eat more, disrupt sleep structure, and decrease motivation to exercise the next day 

We can reset the microbiome through what we eat. Fresh is always best, whether it’s meat, vegetables, fish, or fruit.

This can be a big problem for busy families with food wastage during the cost of living crisis, but set a challenge like ‘clearing the fridge Friday’ to use up fresh food.

Also, pickled or fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi have a much longer life in the fridge and are great for gut health.

6. Inactivity

Whatever we do this year for our health, if we’re not moving constantly during waking hours it’s a problem.

If we have a deadline and absolutely need to complete a task (like writing this article!), set a watch or phone timer for 20-minute intervals and just do a sit-to-stand at the desk a couple of times, raise the arms above the head, and get the main muscle groups moving.

For dedicated exercise (even if it’s going for a walk) I think the three times a week recommendation is not enough, it needs to be exercise daily to get into the habit and produce the best health benefits.

7. Stress

Loneliness has many risks, from decreasing mental stimulation to increasing emotional stress and even raising the risk of heart disease, writes Dr Coatsworth 

Stress will put us behind on all of our health goals. It’s constantly in the background, undermining the positive attitude we need to stay healthy. 

And solving it is easier said than done. But I’ve found that a period of mindful breathing every day can help us get out of our own heads for just a few minutes.

Like any habit, mindful breathwork takes time to master, and we shouldn’t lose confidence if there is no change in the first couple of weeks.

Try to find a minimum of 10 minutes, use any breathwork technique (I like box breathing and Wim Hof breathing), and keep going for a fortnight. It works.

8. Cigarettes

For a lot of Aussies, nicotine is an exceptionally addictive drug.

With smoking on the increase because of cheap illegal cigarettes, we’ve got to remind ourselves of the hazards of cigarette smoking.

There is a massively increased risk of lung cancer (around 14 times higher) and all other cancers among smokers, as well as the prospect of a lifetime of breathlessness with emphysema. Smoking hits health the hardest of all.

Dr Coatsworth urges Aussies to lay off the vapes and ciggies

9. Vapes

Australian young adults are turning toward illegal vapes, many of which have very high nicotine content. Nicotine shifts our body into its ‘fight or flight’ gear, otherwise known as an increased sympathetic nervous system response.

This near-constant activation of the sympathetic nervous system is likely to cause significant cardiovascular damage over time, with research showing that e-cigarette users have abnormal heart rate variability compared to non-users.

Lay off the vapes.

10. Loneliness

A bit of a sad one to finish on, and a hard one to fix, but loneliness and social isolation can really impact our health.

From decreasing mental stimulation to increasing emotional stress and even raising the risk of heart disease, there is just something about being human that requires constant contact and interaction.

But it’s really difficult to recognise that in ourselves, so the advice here is for people who aren’t lonely to reach out to those who might be, whether it’s friends, family, a work colleague, or a next-door neighbour, and give them the gift of human contact.

It makes all the difference.