Old Age and Staying Fit in It

A new study shows that 75-year-olds are mentally much fitter today and more satisfied with their lives than their peers 20 years ago. One reason for this development: the increased level of education. People are not only living longer, but their mental capacity is also retained longer than it was 20 years in age. This is the gratifying result of a joint study by several Berlin research institutions, which is published in the journal Psychology and aging. The generation of today’s 75-year-olds is also characterized by a higher level of well-being and is generally more satisfied with life than the study participants in the same age group two decades ago. In evolv health you can have the best choices now.

The gains we have measured in terms of cognitive performance and well-being are considerable and of great importance for the quality of life in old age. The scientists attribute this positive development to better socio-cultural factors, such as the higher level of education on average. The researchers also found better physical fitness in the elderly than in previous studies. They suspect that this and the associated greater independence also contribute to increased well-being in old age.

However, we expect the observed positive effects on mental performance and well-being to decrease significantly at the end of life. After an increase in good years of life, a rapid and significant deterioration in performance at the end of life can still be expected. This is confirmed by studies, in which the last years of life are considered by older people.

Even those who grow old healthily and remain physically and mentally fit for a long time will not be forever. A healthy lifestyle and the right genes can enable a long, healthy life. However, no prevention can stop death.

Not just a question of fate

Four decades ago, researchers assumed that the biological aging processes and the age that can be reached individually are primarily genetically determined whether one can be armed and mentally active up to old age or not would therefore simply be a question of fate.

Aging has never been filmed so impressively

For experts, aging is inextricably linked to one of his primary fears. This view has changed fundamentally in the meantime: From countless studies on various life-shortening illnesses, it is recognized that our way of life influences the aging process twice as strongly as the genetic disposition.

So it is largely up to us how old we can get. But even the healthiest life is, of course, no guarantee that you will grow old healthy. Of course, there are also diseases or accidents that all preventive measures cannot prevent. It is common knowledge that nutrition has a major impact on our physical well-being and the risk of certain illnesses, even a truism. Statistically speaking, most of the lifetime robs people of consuming cigarettes, alcohol and red meat. This is proven by many studies. It is also undisputed that excessive obesity as a result of a diet that is too high in calories is a top risk for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Calorie reduction extends the life

Animal studies show that food reduction increases old age. Although this is not so easy to transfer to humans, there are indications that calorie reduction also extends life here. On the Japanese island of Okinawa, people are getting older than anywhere else. There, the residents learned as children that they never overeat. Around 30 percent of the stomach always remains empty.