Discoveries from the Longevity Project
Oct
5
Written by:
10/5/2011
October 4, 2011
In their book, The Longevity Project, the scientists Howard Friedman and Leslie Martin describe their analysis of data from the Longevity Project, a study that first began in 1921. Piloted by the Stanford University psychologist, Dr. Lewis Terman, this study involves 1500 California grade school students, many who have been followed for more than 80 years.
The highlights of their findings:
People don't die from working long hours at a challenging job--many who worked the hardest lived the longest. Among study participants enjoying their golden years, the researchers found people who'd retired but still worked part-time or had a strong involvement with their profession or hobbies.
Getting and staying married isn't the magic ticket to long life, especially if you're a woman.
It's not the happy-go-lucky who thrive--it's the prudent and persistent who flourish through the years. People who are conscientious and responsible tend to live longest. They wear seat belts, keep their weight down, and follow a healthy diet.
Certain risk factors were found to increase the risk for cancer and for violent deaths. These include stressful home life although individuals with resilience who bounced back after stressful events fared well. Lack of exercise in the middle and older years was another risk factor. People who got a lot of exercise as kids didn't have an edge up---habits in middle and late life were found to be more important. Radiation was listed as another risk factor, and the cumulative lifelong radiation exposure was found to have a definite detrimental effect on mortality. Same with smoking. Having a strong social network, whether through church groups, family members or friends was found to contribute highly to increased longevity.
Anyone interested in optimizing their chances for a long, healthy life might want to check their libraries for this book, which was published by Penguin in March 2011.