The Vitality Score is the 0–100 number at the center of the Energy Age check. It’s a transparent estimate of how five everyday habits are shaping your day-to-day energy — and unlike a black-box “health score,” the whole method is published here so you can see exactly how it’s built.
This is general wellness education, not medical advice or a diagnosis.
How the score is calculated
Everyone starts at 100. Each of your five habit answers carries a small point penalty, the penalties add up, and they’re subtracted from 100. The result is clamped to a 20–100 range so no single rough week reads as a zero.
Here’s the actual weighting the model uses — the most a single habit can subtract:
| Habit | Largest penalty (worst answer) |
|---|---|
| Nicotine | up to 22 points (daily use) |
| Sleep | up to 18 points (under 5 hours) |
| Movement | up to 16 points (mostly sitting) |
| Alcohol | up to 16 points (most days) |
| Stress | up to 14 points (high) |
So the highest-leverage change the check can ever surface is cutting daily nicotine (up to ~22 points), followed by reaching a steady 7–8 hours of sleep (up to ~18). The check always names your biggest drag and the points a realistic change could recover.
What the bands mean
Your score maps to one of four constructive bands — framed around energy, never appearance:
- Thriving (80–100) — your habits are largely working for you.
- Solid (65–79) — a good base with room to fine-tune.
- Room to grow (45–64) — one or two habits are worth attention.
- Time to recharge (under 45) — several habits are pulling against your energy.
The bands are encouraging by design. The point is to show a number you can move, not to label you.
From Vitality Score to Energy Age
The same penalties that lower your score also nudge your Energy Age away from your real age. A clean routine can read younger; a few heavy drags can read older. The mapping is gentle and capped, so the Energy Age stays a motivating estimate rather than a scary headline.
Why publish the method?
Because a wellness number you can’t inspect isn’t worth much. Every weight above comes from habits that public-health bodies — the CDC, NIH, and HHS — consistently tie to how you feel and function. The model is a simplification of that guidance, not a clinical instrument.
See your own score: Take the free 60-second check →
This article is general wellness education for adults (18+). It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.