Conquistador Juan Ponce de León spent his life looking for the Fountain of Youth, but new research suggests the key to feeling youthful may all be in our heads.
Researchers from the University College in London and the International Longevity Centre-UK said individuals who feel older than their age are more likely to die than those who feel younger than their true age.
For their study, researchers asked 6,500 English older adults one simple question: How old do you feel? They then compared their perceived age to their actual age and tracked the participants for more than a decade. The average actual participant age was 65. At the end of the study they found:
- Participants who felt at least one year older than their actual age were 41 percent more likely to die within eight years than those who felt at least three years younger than their actual age.
- Adults who felt younger had a 14 percent death rate during the study, those who felt the same age had an 18.5 percent death rate, and those who felt older than their actual age had a 25 percent death rate.
- Overall, study participants had a youthful mindset. 69.6 percent of respondents said they felt three or more years younger than their actual age, 25.6 percent felt their actual age, and only 4.8 percent felt older than their actual age.
Researcher Andrew Steptoe said the main factors in feeling older include illnesses, smoking, alcohol intake, physical activity, education and wealth.
“Someone who feels younger is possibly healthier than someone who feels older — they have fewer diseases, they may be more mobile,” said Steptoe. “People who felt younger than their real age were more likely to survive over the next eight years or so compared to those who felt older.”
Since researchers hypothesized that those who felt older than their age may already be suffering from serious conditions, they threw out any cases where a patient died within one year of the beginning of the study. Researchers found that their results held true. They said their findings can help doctors push for a youthful mindset as well as physical treatment.
“Individuals who feel older than their actual age could be targeted with health messages promoting positive health behaviors and attitudes toward aging.”
Marian Armitage, who took part in the study, said she’s not letting her actual age slow her down.
“I just became 60 this year, and I certainly don’t feel 60.”
Dr. Silverman comments
This is an interesting study as it shows the importance of keeping both your body and mind in good shape. Stay active, because you’ll feel younger, and according to these findings, live longer.