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Women hold the secret of happiness
Anna Davis, Evening Standard16 Jul 2008
Women are happier than men and have a better quality of life as they get older, a study shows today.
Scientists asked almost 10,000 people to rate how much they enjoy their lives, and discovered women were more optimistic than men.
Researchers at University College London, who have been following the lives of thousands of people over the age of 50, also found further evidence between people's wealth and when they die.
Dr Elizabeth Breeze, who co-wrote the report, said: "There is a difference between the way men and women view their quality of life and they are influenced by slightly different things.
"Women are affected negatively by caring for someone else or if they are not in employment, but if they see their children and family more they are positively affected. Retirement improves the quality of life in men, but not in women. To some extent people accept their lot as they get older. They are going to make the best of their lives."
Dr Breeze said women could become happier as they get older as they no longer had to worry about looking after their families. Examples might be actresses Meryl Streep, 59, Helen Mirren, 62, and Judi Dench, 72.
Last year, Mirren said: "A weird thing happens to male actors, especially movie stars, in my experience.
"They become grumpy old men. A young male actor feels that all the girls want him - he's a star. As actors get older that sense of not being in control of their destiny grates on them and they get grumpy."
According to the UCL study, it is best to be married, educated to degree level and employed in a managerial position if you want to live longer. The researchers found poorer people and those without qualifications were more likely to die early. Single people died earlier and were poorer.
Professor Sir Michael Marmot said: "The study shows that mortality, ill health, social isolation and loneliness all differed with people's wealth. Less wealth was associated with being sicker, less functional and more isolated."
Professor James Banks said: "We have always known the rich are healthier than the poor, but we have never quantified it. We now know poor people are twice as likely to die earlier than richer people."
The study also confirmed exercise increases life expectancy, with physically inactive people twice as likely to die before those kept fit. Smokers had a 74 per cent greater risk of dying early but if they quit the figure fell to 20 per cent. People who drank occasionally had a lower risk of dying than those who never drank or drank every day. The study also showed more people were working in their fifties and sixties.
Reader views (1)
MAMMA MIA! is a very good movie I like it a lot
I like so much that I told my mother that I wanted to become an actress some day Maybe after I Graduation on May the 22nd Friday at 8:00
I wish that I could meet Meryl Streep some day in person but I know that will never happen to me because like my mother say's once you become famous you will be come to making a lot of movie's or other thing's and forget about
your Fan's.like Meryl Streep she forgot completely that she doesn't wright to her fan's.
- Theresa Maas, Poplar WI, 01/05/2009 06:32
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