Old People Feel 13 Years Younger Than They Are

Old People Feel 13 Years Younger Than They Are: "Older people tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, a new study finds.

The seniors in the study, all 70 and over, also thought they looked about 10 years younger than their numerical age, with women perceiving their appearances to be closer to their actual age than men.

'People generally felt quite a bit younger than they actually were, and they also showed relatively high levels of satisfaction with aging over the time period studied,' said researcher Jacqui Smith, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.

She added, 'Perhaps feeling about 13 years younger is an optimal illusion in old age.'

The results, which will be published in a forthcoming issue of the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science, have implications beyond the psychological. Past research has shown that feeling youthful is linked with better health and longer life, the researchers say."