Results of a study led by University of Warwick researchers revealed that people report better mental quality of life even as they age and their physical quality of life decreases. The researchers analyzed lifestyle and health patterns in more than 10,000 individuals living in the United States and the United Kingdom and these patterns’ links to the participants’ mental and physical quality of life.
“We suggest that this could be due to better coping abilities, an interpretation supported by previous research showing older people tend to have internal mechanisms to deal better with hardship or negative circumstances than those who are younger,” said lead researcher Saverio Stranges. “It could also be due to a lowering of expectations from life, with older people less likely to put pressure on themselves in the personal and professional spheres.”
The researchers also found that being classified as either overweight or obese did not have a significant impact on mental well-being: people with a body mass index of more than 30 reported similar mental quality of life levels to those who were considered a healthy weight.
Source: University of Warwick
Heather Rudow is a staff writer for Counseling Today. Email her at hrudow@counseling.org.