A research team at Yale University and the National Institute on Aging looked at surveys taken by 386 men and women under age 50, and then studied their health records four decades later. Those with the worst outlook on aging, who described older people as “feeble, helpless, and absent-minded,” were significantly more likely to have had a heart attack or stroke than those with more positive views on growing old. Likewise, research suggests that people who perceive themselves as being in poor health—even if they aren’t—may die sooner than those who consider themselves healthy. Perhaps it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you view older people as active, healthy members of society, there’s a good chance you’ll take care of yourself as you age, continuing to eat well and exercise. But if you feel doomed to an enfeebled existence, you might be more inclined to let yourself go.
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