

People who look young for their age 'live longer' - MikeCapone
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8411329.stm

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dasil003
It seems extremely plausible that whatever makes people _look_ old also causes
them to _be_ old to some measurable degree.

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roc
I believe that's a fairly well-understood effect: the physical characteristics
that we associate with 'age' are literally the visual symptoms of the body
gradually falling into disrepair.

This study seems to go a bit deeper, testing whether this heuristic assessment
of 'age' from the states of _visible_ systems is a useful proxy for the 'age'
of _non-visible_ ones.

If there were no relationship, one would expect that apparent age would have
no identifiable correlation with longevity.

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dasil003
Seems to me determining what systems are "visible" is a monumental task in and
of itself, requiring the scientific combination a lot of fields that don't
usually talk to each other too much.

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narag
When I was 29, I was penniless and in the military. I went to a travel agency
decided to cheat about my age to get a discount in a plane ticket, so I could
go home after many months.

I was advised to learn a fake birth date by heart, but I trusted too much my
math ability and instead of 19, I actually implied that I was 17, so I paid an
even cheaper ticket.

Looking younger has many advantages, but also some drawbacks. People tends not
to take you seriously. Or maybe it's me.

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xtho
Just take care you don't look like 50 once you're 40 -- and even young looking
people can age quickly at that age. If this is an advantage or not, probably
depends on whether it's discounts or, well, girls :-) you're after.

I personally find the article's conclusion rather tautological. Especially
since with elderly people even a minor illness can make them look older within
days.

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raju
I am not sure how to take this - I get such varying age guesses. I am 31 and
have been told that I don't look older than 21 (and that's usually the case -
When clean shaven most people gauge me waay lower than 31).

On the flip side, there are times when I was 25-26 and girls I met would think
I was in my 30's :(

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nostrademons
I think context matters a whole lot. I'm 28. When I'm out with my parents,
most people seem to assume I'm in college. When I'm out with older coworkers -
folks in their 30s and 40s - most people tend to assume I'm in my late 20s (I
never once got carded for alcohol at my old employer, because I'd go out for
drinks with folks 10 years older than me). Most of my Google coworkers - who
tend to average around 25 - think I'm roughly their age, although when I've
gone out with them we get mistaken for college students a lot. I was mistaken
for a Stanford student last time I caught the shuttle back from the airport,
solo.

I still can't explain getting carded for Terminator 3 when I was 23, though.
Particularly since I was out with a friend who was a couple years younger and
_didn't_ get carded, plus another friend who was much older (50s-ish) and had
_white hair_. Even if I were under 17, it still wouldn't have been illegal,
since I was seeing it with them.

~~~
shrughes
_Even if I were under 17, it still wouldn't have been illegal, since I was
seeing it with them._

Just to be pedantic, it wouldn't be illegal to see the movie alone, either.

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Timothee
While I'm glad to read that kind of things (for looking young myself ;) ), I'm
surprised that the study was limited to 70+ year-old twins.

It feels a bit specific to draw such large conclusions.

~~~
roc
The fact that genetically identical twins can have such different apparent
ages suggests a younger sample would be fraught with lifestyle variable
problems. Even if you could record the data perfectly, trying to _control_ for
those variables would be a logistical nightmare.

I'd be interested to see deeper follow-ups with increasingly-younger samples,
but the only _scientific_ conclusion one can draw from _this_ study is whether
or not a hypothesized relationship between 'apparent' age and 'actual' age are
trivially falsifiable. (apparently not)

That the marketing and press over-reach is a social failing; not a fault of
the study.

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ComputerGuru
Am I the only one here to whom this does not apply? :'(

I'm 21 and people are constantly surprised to hear I'm a day under 28. Perhaps
it's the full beard or something, but I actually enjoy it - I spent the first
15 years of my life dying to be taken as seriously as I felt/thought and my
age was always an obstacle in intellectual discussions or business matters....
so I for one am glad to be considered 7 to 10 years older!

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foulmouthboy
It does apply to you in that you probably won't live as long as the rest of
us. :)

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ComputerGuru
Touché!!

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inovica
Just the add something here. I used to look older than I was and part of that
I put down to stessful, long-hours of work and eating bad food. I met a
nutritionist who recommended that I only eat really healthy foods (no time to
go into that right now!) as well as to try yoga. Since then I slowly changed
my diet, do yoga a few times a week and meditate daily if possible. I'm often
told that I look ten years younger now.

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vaksel
good news for me, I'm 26, and when I shave I look 18.

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MikeCapone
Same here (except I'm 27).

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phaedrus
Several years ago, I was refused a job interview: the interviewer told me "we
only hire people at least 16." I was 20 at the time!!

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quizbiz
I had a similar yet strangely opposite experience. I was able to get a job
this summer after a lot of persistence on my part. Only after a week or so
they bring out the paper work which I would need a parent to sign. They
thought I was 13.

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tremendo
Some people look younger but looks do catch up to age, at least it felt like
that for me on my late 30's. And—I know he lives still—the idea of Michael J.
Fox came to mind as counter-example.

