People who look young for their age 'live longer'

[Vulpix]

People who look young for their age 'live longer' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8411329.stm)


BBC: People blessed with youthful faces are more likely to live to a ripe old age than those who look more than their years, work shows.
Danish scientists say appearance alone can predict survival, after they studied 387 pairs of twins.
The researchers asked nurses, trainee teachers and peers to guess the age of the twins from mug shots.
Those rated younger-looking tended to outlive their older-looking sibling, the British Medical Journal reports.

Survival advantage

The researchers also found a plausible biological explanation for their results.
Key pieces of DNA called telomeres, which indicate the ability of cells to replicate, are also linked to how young a person looks.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif Perceived age, which is widely used by clinicians as a general indication of a patient's health, is a robust biomarker of ageing that predicts survival among those aged over 70 http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif

The report authors

A telomere of shorter length is thought to signify faster ageing and has been linked with a number of diseases.
In the study, the people who looked younger had longer telomeres.
All of the twins were in their 70s, 80s or 90s when they were photographed.
Over a seven-year follow-up the researchers, led by Professor Kaare Christensen of the University of Southern Denmark, found that the bigger the difference in perceived age within a pair, the more likely it was that the older-looking twin died first.
The age, sex and professional background of the assessors made no difference to any of the results.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gif http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/start_quote_rb.gif It's probably a combination of genes plus environment over a lifetime that are important http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/v3/end_quote_rb.gif

UK expert Professor Tim Spector

Professor Christensen said it might be that people who have had a tougher life are more likely to die early - and their life is reflected in their face.
The researchers told the BMJ: "Perceived age, which is widely used by clinicians as a general indication of a patient's health, is a robust biomarker of ageing that predicts survival among those aged over 70."
Professor Tim Spector, a UK expert who has been doing his own twin research, said: "We are also finding this in our study.
"It's probably a combination of genes plus environment over a lifetime that are important."
He said the findings also show that people are good at assessing how well someone is and that doctors should eyeball their patients.
"If a patient looks older than their years then perhaps they should be more concerned," he said.

[Freomæg]

I think I look a couple of years younger than I am, and I have no problem with that. I think it's mainly because I take care of my body and I've never smoked. Also because I don't attempt to dress 'old'.

[Brännvin]

Yeah, I do.. and sometimes 15 yrs mentally for my family..

[Absinthe]

Good to know :) People usually deduct an average of 5, to even 10, years of my actual age, when guessing, and relatives from my father's side have lived to over 100 years old :)

[Frigga]

I'm 28 now and I'm told that I look like I'm still in high school. My grandmother just died at 93, so maybe that means that there's hope for me! ;)

[Svarog]

Then I am gonna live forever :rolleyes:

I am still asked for ids when buying cigarettes or beer in pubs, with beard I look my age, no beard I look younger than my 18 years old brother :/

[The Black Prince]

I'm gonna die young or on middle age..When I was 15 I could pass as 21 (great for clubs) and nowadays I can pass for well over 30. I guess its the price one pays when smoking and also working outside during summer and winter (tawny worn face).

Ah well, one of these days there will be a research when they conclude that people who work outside in the fresh air and live rural live longer as those confined to working at offices/factories and are living in an urban environment.;)

[Amapola]

yohoooo! :D

[Falkata]

yohoooo! :D

You are immortal then :p

[Lars]

Health is beauty.
Intelligent people make better decisions than morons and as a result they tend to be in better heath and -> more beautiful. If your spouse also is intelligent he/she will also make clever decisions for you and your children and around the house. Decisions like what to eat, body and mind stimuli/exercise, have a healthy indoor environment etc.
Virgins, smokers, drugs users, people who don't exercise will easily look 10 years older than their healthy neighbors.

[MarcvSS]

People who look young for their age 'live longer'

Aah damn, you gotta be kidding me right?

[Stefan]

Virgins

How does that work that virgins are unhealthy? Excuse me for being ignorant on that.

[Svarog]

How does that work that virgins are unhealthy? Excuse me for being ignorant on that.

It doesn't, love life can have minor effects and that's about it. You can have a minor influence on your health, but, really, we have no control over it. I know people who lived very healthy lives.

[Lars]

Sex boots your immune system, relieves stress and pain, it's good exercise, womens pelvic floor muscles get trained so they can avoid incontinence when they get older. Sex also benefits the cardiovascular system etc.

Lots of research have been done on this topic. You should easily find some information on this subject.

Here is a little article:
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-sex

It's not hard to grasp that nature has made sex very beneficial for us. Sex is the way to procreate. Our will to life is very powerful.

[Svarog]

Thanks for a pick up line:
"Hey baby, wanna live longer? Then come on over!"

[Monolith]

Thanks for a pick up line:
"Hey baby, wanna live longer? Then come on over!"
Haha, legendary :D Though I agree that sex is, on the material level, very beneficial for one's overall health.

[The Black Prince]

Sex boots your immune system, relieves stress and pain, it's good exercise, womens pelvic floor muscles get trained so they can avoid incontinence when they get older. Sex also benefits the cardiovascular system etc.

Lots of research have been done on this topic. You should easily find some information on this subject.

Here is a little article:
http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/features/10-surprising-health-benefits-of-sex


Eh some minor remarks over here.. sorry Lars, but I have to act as the Devils advocate on this one..:dev

Sex boosts your imune system? perhaps when you date with strangers on the other hand that will also increase the risk on HIV, which is the opposite of a good imune system.

It relieves stress and pain? For a lot of people who are in a relationship they don't want anymore sex is one of the prime reasons for stress and for women sometimes pain because of cramps.

it's good exercise, womens pelvic floor muscles get trained so they can avoid incontinence when they get older? Actually sex originally was meant to get babies. Women who get babies have more chance to become incontinent on a later age.

Sex also benefits the cardiovascular system etc.? I know someone who works in the ER, every day at least two middle aged or older people are brought in because they got into some kind of heart problems.


It's not hard to grasp that nature has made sex very beneficial for us. Sex is the way to procreate. Our will to life is very powerful.
Here however I totally agree with you, but as you can see above that doesn't mean sexing till your dick falls off.:)
If nature wants babies than they also want the best environment for the baby in question. That is two loving parents, not one. And not some parent providing the unborn child with a sexual transmitted disease.:thumbs up


Virgins, smokers, drugs users, people who don't exercise will easily look 10 years older than their healthy neighbors.
Actually most people I know that look younger/ more juvenile for their age are people who sit in front of their computer all day and often use (soft) drugs. Most of the time they have a job inside (if they even have a job) not outside and they don't work out much.

The people I know who look older and more matured for their age are usually those who do work outside or otherwise work out a lot. Funny enough those people also tend to drink more and smoke more often. And the usage of drugs is lower or equal.

Here are some examples, first the younger looking for their age:
http://i47.tinypic.com/wuoz6o.jpg
Computer science students, around the age of 20

Here are the groups more mature looking for their age:
http://i48.tinypic.com/2a0tic.jpg
Sporting group, around the age of 20

http://i47.tinypic.com/w0s40m.jpg
Agriculture students, around the age of 20

[Lars]

Sex boosts your imune system? perhaps when you date with strangers on the other hand that will also increase the risk on HIV, which is the opposite of a good imune system.
Don't get an STD or get hit by a bus while having sex.


It relieves stress and pain? For a lot of people who are in a relationship they don't want anymore sex is one of the prime reasons for stress and for women sometimes pain because of cramps.
Maybe. But if a person is content, having sex is more beneficial than abstinence. Sex overflows your body with endorphins and other pleasure/relief drugs.


it's good exercise, womens pelvic floor muscles get trained so they can avoid incontinence when they get older? Actually sex originally was meant to get babies. Women who get babies have more chance to become incontinent on a later age.
Yes, the primary goal of sex is procreation. But exercising those muscles helps tightened them up and therefore the risk of incontinence is less.


Sex also benefits the cardiovascular system etc.? I know someone who works in the ER, every day at least two middle aged or older people are brought in because they got into some kind of heart problems.
I don't understand the connection or the logic behind this. :confused:



Actually most people I know that look younger/ more juvenile for their age are people who sit in front of their computer all day and often use (soft) drugs. Most of the time they have a job inside (if they even have a job) not outside and they don't work out much.

The people I know who look older and more matured for their age are usually those who do work outside or otherwise work out a lot. Funny enough those people also tend to drink more and smoke more often. And the usage of drugs is lower or equal.

If your lifestyle is unhealthy and you are stressing your body, having regular sex won't do much of a difference then.

Well, it should be evidently that you can't see much of an look/age difference between 20-year-olds.

But you must understand if twins in their 50s who have the same lifestyle and one of them is having sex four times a year and the other four times a week for all their lives. The latter of them should look considerable younger than the other.

[The Black Prince]

If you stay inside the house/office and don't catch as much sunlight thus don't tan, you will look younger. On the other hand if you spend most of your time outside and are often having your skin tanned by the sun you will look older earlier.

And I doubt that much or less sex has much to do with it, good sex is another thing but still it is just an ingredient..

It is rather the picture on a whole:
If you have a good life and are feeling good on overall (e.g. nice kids, nice partner, nice job, nice house, etc.), or a if you have a stressfull life, a job you hate and partner you hate/dislike, kids you don't like etc.. That is what makes the difference.:)


But you must understand if twins in their 50s who have the same lifestyle and one of them is having sex four times a year and the other four times a week for all their lives. The latter of them should look considerable younger than the other.
Hypothetically if they have for the rest the same lives, the same amount of sunlight, the same stress experiences, etc..

Than sex is the deciding factor.. but still what if the woman who only had 4 times of sex in her lifetime had very good sex. While the other had a lifetime of bad sex.. and that 4 times a week.:D

[Fortis in Arduis]

Obvious factors like drugs aside...

People who eat meals at regular times, follow a regular routine, do not stress their homeostatic systems, who do not eat animals, will live longer and look younger.

People who exercise with 'stress and recover' and more so in a relatively unstructured way, who stress their homeostatic systems and go out and burn in the sun, who eat irregularly, and eat animals, will maybe peak in physical fitness at a certain point, but then they burn out, like the end of a professional sporting or military career they are dog meat at 45 or less. They will not live as long as they could, and they certainly will not look young. They will look battered, but they will have lived. ;)

We have the choice of following restricted diets and regimes, modulating routines and eternal youth

or

enjoying variety, excess and a life of experiences, and they could include drug experiences as well.

This is my eternal dilemma.

[Lahtari]

Damnit. Does this mean that being able to buy alcohol and cigarettes as a teenager was harmful for my health? :dead0000: :propeller:

(Should I rather have homebrewed?)