Which factor cannot be changed by lifestyle choices?

• A. Diet
• B. Heredity
• C. Exercise
• D. Smoking

Answer: (B)

Understanding what you can influence through daily choices helps separate what’s changeable from what isn’t. Diet, exercise, and smoking are all actions you can modify to improve health. You can choose healthier foods, be more physically active, and quit or reduce smoking. In contrast, heredity refers to genetic traits inherited from your parents. Those genes are fixed and aren’t altered by personal habits, even though lifestyle can affect how those genes express themselves in terms of risk and health outcomes. Because you can’t change your genes with lifestyle, heredity is the factor that cannot be changed by lifestyle choices.