Abstract: ObjectiveTo investigate diet behavior and physical exercise for the promotion of healthy life style among rural residents. MethodsMultistage stratified random sampling method was used to select 900 families in Gaoyou city of Jiangsu province.The family members over 15 years old were inquired with a self-made questionnaire about life style and diet behavior. ResultsThe smoking rates in the males and females were 54.6% and 2.1% and the alcohol drinking rates in the males and females were 44.6% and 1.2%,respectively.The smoking rate and drinking rate in the males were significantly higher than those in the females(χ²=983.389,χ²=717.835,P<0.001 for all).The percentage of people having heavy salt diet frequently or sometimes was 62.4%;the percentage of people eating fried,baked and pickled food frequently or sometimes was 50.6% and 32.5% of the residents had no physical exercise.There were significant differences in the prevalence of chronic illness and self-rated health among the residents with different level of physical exercise(χ²=34.768,χ²=114.091,P<0.001). ConclusionMale residents in rural areas of Gaoyou city of Jiangsu province have a higher smoking rate and smoking more frequently than female residents.Rural residents should change their eating habits,enhance their awareness of physical exercise,and promote healthy lifestyle.