Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The people I know who retired early ski 100 days per winter and do similar active things the warm 6 months. I don’t notice any of them keeling over.
The 2nd post in this thread captured why a large fraction of early retirees die young. They were forced to retire due to health reasons. Heart disease. Diabetes. ALS. You’re not going to keep working if you’re eating OxyContin for pain management for the nasty types of cancer.
My boss retired in his early 50's and died a few years latter. However, his family history was that the males had a rather short life and knowing that is why he retired early. I think he would have worked well into his 60's if it was not for his family history.
As everyone has been pointing out, it is very hard to find a study on this that compares apples to apples. When to retire is a choice and the choice is driven by many factors that can also determine longevity, from your state of health to your happiness, connectedness, and sense of purpose in life. I recall reading about one study that was done in a particular corporation on its retirees that seemed to indicate that early retirees lived longer. An analysis of the data, however, found that the earlier retirees were weighted to higher executives who'd been offered buyouts and were wealthier and healthier than the other retirees. I'd like to see such a study, but don't know how it could be designed. You certainly can't do a study where you randomly assign people to one group or the other.
I worked with an engineer named Bob. He loved working and retired at 80. He died 6 months later. One thing I knew about Bob, he loved his job, particularly trouble shooting equipment and structures. He was great to work with and I was sad to see him go.
The human was designed to last about 40 years. We keep people alive a lot longer so we can make money off them and keep the health care profession going. The human body these days is run wide open, like a race car. There's a good chance the last 20 years of your life will be spent "patching things up" and "seeing specialists"
I have never been a fan of the "rush to retire". At 61, I have some retired friends and acquaintances. They have things in life that I do not - the first being grandchildren and the desire to visit them with regularity which turns into travel, of sorts.
Those studies may be old, but I think they hold true.
When people have unlimited funds to participate in extensive travel - NOT visiting relatives, even grand kids, I can see the draw. Sort of.
Other studies show that a connectedness to others keeps one healthy. Retirement isolates. That's never good for health.
The thread title is "Do any of you have first hand knowledge of the earlier one retires the Earlier one is likely to die".
That seems to be asking for anecdotes.
First hand generally means it happened to you. How could you then be posting here?
Don't believe everything you read. Even official medical study results are questionable. I can have different studies that study the same drugs and have completely different results. Many studies and stories are not completely verifiable and honest. Look to see who paid for the study. Maybe the pension and SS officials paid so that people would die before collecting much of their pension or SS.
The human was designed to last about 40 years. We keep people alive a lot longer so we can make money off them and keep the health care profession going. The human body these days is run wide open, like a race car. There's a good chance the last 20 years of your life will be spent "patching things up" and "seeing specialists"
Well, that's certainly your opinion.
Seems to me humans aren't working their bodies nearly as hard now as in the previous centuries -- you know with automation, machinery, electricity and all that.
Who is the "we" that are keeping people alive just so the health care industry doesn't fail?
I didn’t actually retire early, (65), but I moved to SW Florida from Pennsylvania shortly after retirement which made a difference in quality of life. I have been here four years. It was hard at first, but overall, It has been a blessing.
I’m 71 now. My health has actually improved. I lost 25 pounds since moving here, something that I couldn’t make happen up north. My stamina and energy level is actually a little better. I try to swim laps at least 3-4 times per week. I have some medications for cholesterol and blood pressure, but the dosage levels have been reduced.
I also do some volunteer activities, which helps a lot. The other activity is music; singing and composing music. It’s a challenge but I think it helps with brain activity. Hopefully, will be able to do these activities for as long as possible.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
