British study suggests you really are only as old as you think you are

Old age is a state of mind as much as of the body, according to a study that found people who have a younger outlook are fitter when they are elderly.

Those who consider themselves to be frail are more likely to abandon activities that can keep them healthy in old age such as taking regular exercise. But others with a more positive attitude can remain socially active, healthy and enjoy a greater quality of life despite having equal or greater levels of physical weakness, the study found.

Researchers from Exeter University interviewed 29 people, aged 66 to 98, who had varying levels of good health. The participants were asked about their experience of aging and frailty to see how attitudes could affect health and quality of life.

Most, even those in the worst physical shape, maintained that they were still in good condition.

In the two people who did consider themselves frail, re- searchers identified a “cycle of decline,” where outlook had led them to withdraw from socializing and exercise though they were physically stronger than some others.

Krystal Warmouth, a student who led the study, said: “A person’s beliefs about their self could lead to a loss of interest in social and physical activities, poor health, stigmatization and reduced quality of life. You are as old as you feel, and your own views of yourself or taking on this identity of being frail, is not what you should be doing.”