The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2011 report card finds that while most Canadians know what a healthy lifestyle looks like, they're not necessarily living it.

According to the poll of 2,000 adults that the Heart and Stroke Foundation conducted in December, most of us are overestimating our own healthy behaviours.

For example, the poll found that nearly 90 per cent of respondents rate themselves as healthy, but in reality, nine out of 10 of us have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Those risk factors include:

• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol
• diabetes
• being overweight
• excessive alcohol consumption
• physical inactivity
• smoking

As well, about 18 per cent of Canadian adults believe they are obese, according to the poll. But according to the 2007-09 Canadian Health Measures Survey and other data from Statistics Canada, almost 25 per cent of Canadian adults are obese.

The poll also found that only about a third of poll respondents thought they weren't physically active enough or didn't eat the minimum of five servings of fruit and vegetables daily. But in reality, a full 48 per cent of Canadians don't meet the physical activity and 54 per cent of don't eat enough fruits and veggies.

Dr. Beth Abramson, a cardiologist and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation says Canadians seem to know what to do to live long lives, there's a disconnect between what we think we are doing to and the reality.

"If we're denying our risk for heart disease and if we're denying the ability to change our risk for heart disease, then the consequences can be fatal," Abramson told CTV News.

The foundation's Dr. Marco Di Buono says about 250,000 potential years of life are lost each year in Canada due to cardiovascular diseases, such as chronic angina and high blood pressure.

"The good news is that these risk factors are reversible, they're preventable, so we can put measures in place to change our lives," he told CTV's Canada AM Tuesday.

"And if we improve our lives, we can get back all the years we might otherwise lose through these damaging diseases."

Abramson points out that it's not just years of life that are lost from poor lifestyle habits; there are healthy "quality years" that could be gained by changing habits.

For example, by being physically active regularly throughout the year, Canadians can gain close to four years of life – and three of those years would be free of heart disease and stroke.

"Living longer isn't much fun if you don't have your health," she said in a statement. Making healthier choices and controlling the modifiable risk factors are key to extending quality years of life."

To help Canadians learn more their heart disease risk factors and support help Canadians get back on track with healthy lifestyles, the Heart and Stroke Foundation has launched a new free downloadable smartphone app.

The My Heart&Stroke Health App is designed to give an overview of users' health and health risks, as well as tailored action plans for healthier living. The foundation urges users to share the results with their family doctor of health care provider.

"This is an easy tool to help Canadians make changes to reduce their risks," Di Buono said.

The My Heart&Stroke Health App is available for free at mobile app stores on Apple iPhone, Blackberry and Android. The app is listed under "Health & Fitness".

Or, the app can be downloaded at heartandstroke.ca/mobileapps. The risk assessment tool can also be accessed online at heartandstroke.ca/risk