Exactly how much of our life does each bad habit take away?


Here’s the major rub: the more you worry about getting older, the more likely you are to die younger.

A study published in 2002 analysed the results of a questionnaire issued to 660 people aged 50 and older – and followed it up more than 20 years later to see if they were still alive.

The initial questionnaire included questions such as ‘do you agree or disagree that as you get older you are less useful?’

The research found that those with more positive perceptions of ageing lived an average of seven and a half years longer than those with more negative attitudes.

According to Becca Levy, the Yale professor who led the research, much is down to how the society in which you live views age. In Japan, where older people are revered and seen as wise, people tend to live longer than in the US, where they are seen as a burden.

The perfect reason not to worry about longevity – and to call out ageism when you see it!





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