heart disease

Just before Candy’s fifth birthday, his father died of complications with heart disease, a sudden event that was largely swept under the rug by Candy’s family during his childhood.

Physical activity is the closest thing to a miracle drug: Even if you don’t lose an ounce of weight, it reduces the risk of dementia, cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

But Hanks said he was drawn into Candy’s story by a particular detail: the fact that Candy’s own father, Sidney, had died from heart disease at the age of 35, right before John turned 5.

But it means many people with conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, respiratory illneses, asthma and severe mental illness will no longer qualify.

Beyond the physical health risks - and there are many, including higher risks of cancer and heart disease, plus mental health problems - there may be social consequences too.