Surprising Facts About Longevity

Have you ever noticed that in spite of the media blitz urging you to eat veggies and pump weights, some of the most health-conscious people you know seem to keel over at an early age, while others who eat junk and live fast keep on kicking up until their 90s? Perhaps it's because when it comes to longevity, psychology matters at least as much as biology. Consider the results of these four surprising studies looking at what controls longevity:

1. Attitudes about aging are more important than diet or exercise in extending your life. A study out of Yale University in 2002 followed 650 people, and found that those who had a positive outlook about their own aging outlived those with negative views by 7.5 years, on average, regardless of pre-existing health problems, lifestyle factors, socioeconomic status, or gender. In fact, the study found that attitude was the single most important factor in predicting longevity, after controlling for age. Another study in Norway found that the most optimistic subjects were 77 percent less likely to die of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular cause than the most pessimistic subjects, regardless of weight, pre-existing cardiovascular issues, smoking, and so on.

2. Having a network of good friends increases lifespan significantly; family doesn't. The Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging looked at 1500 people aged 70 or older, and found that those with an extensive circle of friends outlived those with the fewest friends by 22 percent. Having family around did not increase lifespan.

3. Continued schooling prolongs life. A 1999 study from Columbia University determined that ongoing education increases lifespan even more than having good medical care. Another study found that "each additional year of schooling for men in the U.S. is associated with an 8 percent reduction in mortality."

4. Finding meaning after loss is high on the longevity list. I heard years ago that the most significant factor in life extension--even more important than diet or exercise--is the ability to find meaning after losing loved ones. This becomes increasingly important with each passing year as we age, because inevitably, our friends and dear ones will start dying.

I'm not advising you to start gorging on chips and cupcakes--diet and exercise certainly do matter in life extension. But if you want to have a long, healthy, happy life--wheatgrass and aerobics alone won't do it. You need to cultivate friends, keep on learning, engage in activities that truly interest you, and find the gold in the process of getting older--and there is much to celebrate in the aging process. If you feel that you're stuck--that you just can't adjust your attitude or find the magic anymore or get yourself moving--consider getting some life coaching.

Best wishes,

Hiyaguha, The Life Change Coach

Technorati Tags: getting older, longevity, attitude, positive thinking, aging

Catastrophic Thinking: A Dog Story

A few days ago, we took my 10-year-old standard poodle, Ariel, out for a day of fun. First, we stopped at the market and bought her a bag of liver treats, and then we went on a six mile, off-leash hike. About an hour into it, Ariel started hiccupping constantly, licking her lips, gagging. As we walked, the gagging didn’t stop, and in fact, continued to get worse, although Ariel's energy seemed fine. At first I figured she just had a hair-ball caught in her throat, then I thought she had indigestion, but as her condition progressed, I became alarmed.

We finished the hike, went home and the hiccupping/gagging continued. It was Sunday, so I put off calling the vet and instead did internet research on her symptoms, figuring I’d get her to the vet on Monday. It could be worms, I discovered. Further research revealed it could be bloat, a potentially deadly condition, or … rabies. According to the rabies symptom list—the lip licking and the gagging were indicators. She ate her dinner just fine, seemed happy and had none of the other symptoms, but even so, the worry bug bit me and I couldn’t sleep all night.

The next morning Ariel was wagging her tail, wanting breakfast—but she still gagged intermittently. I called the vet, made an appointment, and kept my anxious eyes on her. I looked for a treat to give to her, but couldn't find the bag of liver treats. I searched the house and the car and couldn’t find it. And then, as I loaded Ariel into the backseat, I saw some scraps of plastic packaging with chew marks in them on the floor of the car.

Then I realized that Ariel had eaten the entire bag of liver treats when we weren’t looking, including the plastic bag they came in. Her hiccups were caused by her joyful and secret food fest, plain and simple—not by any of the awful conditions I feared.

So often it happens that we have a symptom, or someone we love develops a bump or a cough, and we spin off into catastrophe-land. Ironically, right after Ariel’s escapade, a friend of mine called experiencing pressure in her eyes, worried that she had a brain tumor. It turned out later that she simply had sinus problems.

I got to thinking about how we adults so often go into tailspins at the first sign of trouble, whereas kids don’t do that. Kids don’t know yet what they have to worry about, so when they get sick, they take their illness at face value, without worrying about terminal disease. They don’t worry about ruining their reputation because they’ve done something stupid, nor about ending up on the streets after botching an opportunity. Only we big people think in such catastrophic terms.

What I learned is that it’s as easy to imagine your dog having a treat fiesta so lavish that she ends up with hiccups, as it is to fear that she’s ill with a dread disease. Thinking catastrophically accomplishes nothing and wastes precious life energy that could be put to far better use.

Best wishes,

Hiyaguha , The Life Change Coach