Happier People Keep Healthier as They Age

[xchrom]

http://www.livescience.com/42712-happier-people-healthier-aging.html

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Being healthy can make a person happy, but happiness itself may also lead to better health, according to a new study.

Researchers found that people who enjoy life tend to maintain better physical function than those who don't in daily activities as they age.

The study included more than 3,000 people age 60 and older living in England, and followed them for eight years. The study participants reported how much they enjoyed life by rating statements such as "I enjoy the things that I do," and "I enjoy being in the company of others." [7 Things That Will Make You Happy]

Using in-person interviews, the researchers examined whether participants experienced impairments in their daily activities, such as getting out of bed, getting dressed or bathing. They also gauged participants' walking speedwith a gait test.

[SheilaT]

1. No real surprise.

I expect there's a rather complicated feedback of some kind between health and happiness. I'm essentially a very cheerful person and I'm also very healthy. It's not hard to be cheerful when you never feel crappy.

But if you have poor health, regardless of the source or cause, it can be a lot harder to be happy and cheerful.

It has been clear to me for a very long time that there is always a strong psychological component to health and sickness, which is NOT to say that people bring poor health upon themselves. Nonetheless, the connection (not necessarily causation) exists.

[bemildred]

2. Yes, I'll bet healthier people are happier as they age too.

And I'll bet sick people who then get much healthier are happiest of all.

[SheilaT]

3. Interesting thought, that sick people who then get

much healthier are happiest of all. I'm going to continue the discussion by suggesting that the nature or duration of the illness would be a huge factor. So if you get something serious, like say cancer, then get completely over it, you'd be understandable very, very happy. But I believe that almost all the time with cancer there's years of waiting and watching and perhaps testing to see if it returns. That uncertainty, unavoidable as it is, can't be very good for a person. On the other hand, some immediate terrible illness that then is dealt with swiftly and goes away totally, oh boy how happy making that would be!

Anyway, thanks for that idea.

[bemildred]

4. Well, I'm just saying it can go either way.

Happy people likely feel ill less. And sick people likely feel happy less. So it's probably best to work on it from both ends.

And there is nothing like the release of heavy burden for pure euphoria.

[SheilaT]

5. Yep, absolutely.

I am NOT trying to be argumentative at all. Like too many people I often consider many things only from my own perspective and experience. I'm glad you showed me another way to consider happiness and health.

[CanSocDem]

6. It's hard to be 'happy'...

...when everything you read, think or experience revolves around waiting for your cancer to return. It sounds like a belief in inevitability, that in this case, seems to preclude "happiness".

Rather than succumb to the intellectual comfort of "inevitability" and use all the tools of this concept like science and the archives of medicine, this study seems to suggest, and you should take note that "happiness" precludes illness. In other words, stay happy-stay healthy.

If you let yourself be overwhelmed with fears of inevitability, you'll never be happy.


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[SheilaT]

7. Good point.

It's as if someone who is sick, no matter from what or of how short duration, etc, can't possibly be happy. Which is clearly ridiculous.

And I especially like your point about "overwhelmed with fears of inevitability". It's why I can get extremely annoyed when I'm enjoying my good health and someone pipes up something along the lines of "That could change at any time." Sure it could. I see no point in even bothering to think about that. Which is not to say I don't understand reality or the fragility of many things. Meanwhile, I'm going to enjoy it. Just as I enjoy any sort of temporary good thing in my life.

[CanSocDem]

8. The secret is controlling ones thoughts...

...and in the big, seemingly chaotic world it is really all we've got. Eliminating the thoughts that make one unhappy is easier than one would think. Stop listening to the world. At this point in our history it only wants to sell us something.

Nothing matches the power of thought. Not science, not religion and not even public consensus. It is there for our personal enjoyment and well being.


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