We all know that certain things are bad for our health but some habits are worse than you realize. The good news is that you can reverse the harmful effects with certain lifestyle adjustments. The key is to know where to make those changes.

Here we look at five habits that are probably worse for your health than you realize and should be changed as soon as possible:

1. Mindless snacking: It’s easy to reach for the bowl of chips while you binge watch Netflix but endlessly snacking when you are not hungry can   lead to weight gain which in turn can lead to other health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, Reader's Digest noted. Put the bowl down and listen to your hunger signals.

2. Choosing "healthy sounding" foods: Don’t fall into the trap of choosing foods that "sound healthy" but which are anything but. It has become commonplace for food brands to tout the numerous health benefits of certain foods on their labels but there are hidden pitfalls. A perfect example? Eating Well pointed out that certain fat-free products are often packed with extra sugar to compensate for the bland taste. It helps to pay attention to food labels and to analyze the nutritional information of these so-called healthy items.

3. Pumping the music: We are all guilty of plugging in   earphones and blasting the music at work or at the gym but it takes just 30 minutes of listening to music at max volume to cause permanent hearing loss, Longevity noted. Try to keep volume at 60 percent and avoid being plugged in all day.

4. A stressful lifestyle: It is normal to feel stressed out from time to time but when your anxiety levels go up, so does your blood pressure and blood sugar while your immune system drops. If you are regularly feeling stressed out this can have a dramatic impact on your health. This includes depression and weight gain, which could lead to heart disease and diabetes, Reader's Digest noted.

5. Passing up on dessert (wait, what?!): Yes, indulging your sweet tooth too often can lead to weight gain, diabetes and a wealth of other health conditions but studies have suggested that completely ditching dessert could wreak havoc on your diet. Why? According to Eating Well, depriving yourself could actually lead to binge eating. The key here is moderation. So instead of a whole chocolate, snack on one or two blocks.

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