Longevity Project Busts Aging Myths

Thanks to the findings in a surprising new book, The Longevity Project, you can learn why some people make it to a very old age and others donäó»t.Œæ
Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D., and Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D., have spent the past 20 years following subjects from childhood to adulthood to discover why some thrived well into old age and others did not. In the end, they discovered that many of the mantras we hear are good for us in lots of ways but donäó»t necessarily ensure a longer life. Check out some of these myths,

Myth #1 äóñ Marriage Guarantees a Longer Life – (They conclude yes – for men.)

Myth #2 äóñ Taking It Easy Adds Years to Your Life – (Ambition, perseverance, impulse control, high motivation led to a resilient work life and more years.)

Myth #3 äóñ You Can Worry Yourself to Death – (Prudent, well organized, detail oriented, in other words worriers lived longer.)

Myth #4 äóñ More Degrees Mean More Years- (In terms of having the smarts to live healthier yes but productivity and persistence win out over education.)

Myth #5 äóñ Friendly Outgoing People Thrive – (Highly sociable people engage in the dangers of the moment and give into crowd; optimistic people did not tend to live any longer either.)

Myth #6 äóñ Jocks Outlive Nerds – (Jocks who retire and become sedentary lose all advantage.)
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Adapted from Parade Magazine. Take their longevity quiz here.