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Awwww!!!! I was going to say 70 (I'm 67). But seriously, I guess I keep pushing "old" (or worse, "elderly") to my own next milestone, but you're right, late 60's DOES sound old. Although 70 sounds just awful. I remember my neighbor being upset when the newspaper published a story about her car accident, in which a motorcyclist had died (and she could have been killed). She was most upset about the fact they gave her age, which was 70. She didn't want anyone to know how old she was, and honestly, she didn't look it.
I'm in my 70s and don't mind being old at all. In many ways I'm more capable than I was when I was younger, and I certainly have a better understanding of life.
With a little luck I've got another 15 years and that's plenty of time to have some fun.
The OP claims a good attitude will ward off bad health and age issues. I disagree.
If you are aware of study after study that shows you "heal faster" with a good attitude, can you cite even one from a peer reviewed medical journal?
You could have looked that up for yourself and I wish you would b/c I think you would be very surprised. This is just a small sample of what I found with just a cursory googling of articles on NIH, though I pulled some from the index of the book Radical Remission by Kelly Turner. Practically the entire Notes section in that book lists articles and research about this very topic and they do not come from The New Age Gazette (I made that up lol).
Look up anything having to do with the placebo effect and the nocebo effect. Look up anything to do with spontaneous remission. I know two people who've had this happen--medically documented, and I do not have a wide circle of acquaintances, so it's not as rare as most people think. There are studies showing that people with cancer live longer with social support. I participate on a breast cancer forum and many if not most women on there can remember a period of unrelenting stress before they got their dx. Many people feel that with illness, their life gained more meaning but mainly it has been those who've done deep emotional healing work along with their physical care.
You found some studies. There are many of researchers looking for anything that might be of help. A more recent review of this topic received the "Young Investigator Award" from the premier Journal of Epidemiology. The conclusion of a extensive review is that if there is any effect on cancer incidence or survival, it is "extremely small". I would call it wishful thinking.
I think there's a bit of a feedback loop involved. If you get sick or have age-related chronic injury, or if your friends or family "act" old at a certain age, this contributes to you feeling old and changing your mindset and behavior as a result, and once you start adapting that way, you tend to get more feedback that you're old and it just continues.
The main causes of death are:
Heart disease
Cancer
Chronic lower respiratory disease
Stroke
Diabetes
Alzheimers
For most the causes are fairly well understood. Genetics plays a part. Lifestyle choices including diet and lack of exercise and smoking can contribute. Bad luck is a big factor for diseases such as cancer. It is pretty hard to see where "stress" can be a factor for any of these.
You're a few decades behind modern medicine. Stress is associated with a number of physical reactions, such as high cortisol levels, inflammation, weakened ability to fight infection, and high blood pressure, which can contribute to these ailments. Furthermore, stress is related to chronic sleep deprivation, which also reduces life expectancy. And this doesn't even account for the fact that stress can cause a person to eat in an unhealthy manner.
There is nothing new about psychosomatic medicine or a whole bunch of myths, many of which we would like to believe:
Other people get sick because they don't have a good attitude. (Therefore I will avoid getting sick).
Illness can be avoided or cured with a good attitude.
If you don't feel well and your doctor cannot find a reason, it must be all in your head.
If you have a disease without a cure, that is your fault and it is up to you to fix it.
If you don't feel well and cannot sleep well, then it is your fault for not sleeping and you are to blame for not feeling well.
The placebo effect cures diseases.
The only part that is not a myth is the idea of making a living by doing psychosomatic research or by getting paid for ineffective treatment procedures.
A thread in the Philosophy forum, and a wonderful post there, made me think of how important this is in our Retirement Forum. Significant enough, in my opinion, to merit its own thread here. (And yes I know, the discussion topic is not entirely new to us.)
A knowledgeable poster wrote the following:
"I'm a family medicine provider and I see all ages every workday, from birth to the very, very old. It never ceases to amaze me how differently people can appear (and function) within the same chronological age range.
I have noticed people tend to get old when they believe they are old. They then begin acting old and making old decisions, reinforcing their "old" belief.
Genetics play a big role but so does lifestyle and attitude. You cant run from genetics, but you can change your lifestyle and attitude."
While I have no credentials like the above, this is exactly what I have always felt about the matter. Discussion?
I read something about feeling old once that went something like this. (I am paraphrasing)
For Men,
You're old when other men no longer fear you.
For Women,
You're old when other women no longer fear you will steal their husbands/boyfriends.
The first time I felt old or at least getting older was when I no longer could jump high enough to touch the rim on a regulation 10 foot basketball hoop.
You found some studies. There are many of researchers looking for anything that might be of help. A more recent review of this topic received the "Young Investigator Award" from the premier Journal of Epidemiology. The conclusion of a extensive review is that if there is any effect on cancer incidence or survival, it is "extremely small". I would call it wishful thinking.
J Epid 24, 1-6, 2014
So, why not use wishful thinking? And the placebo effect? And thinking positive? And being involved in a good community? And prayer? And helping others?
I'll be old when I can no longer slam dance in the pit.
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I was going to say 70 (I'm 67). But seriously, I guess I keep pushing "old" (or worse, "elderly") to my own next milestone, but you're right, late 60's DOES sound old. Although 70 sounds just awful. I remember my neighbor being upset when the newspaper published a story about her car accident, in which a motorcyclist had died (and she could have been killed). She was most upset about the fact they gave her age, which was 70. She didn't want anyone to know how old she was, and honestly, she didn't look it.
