Skip to main content

Be happy!

Happiness does not heal, but happiness protects against falling ill. As a result, happy people live longer. The size of the effect on longevity is comparable to that of smoking or not


We need to reflect on this. As I have pointed out often, psychological outlook and an avoidance of stress is a really important element to health. When I was growing up my parents' career guidance to me was - "It doesn't matter what you do, as long as you are happy." That may sound shallow, but maybe it was a very healthy and wise thing to say.


Healthy happiness: effects of happiness on physical health and the consequences for preventive health care

Is happiness good for your health? This common notion is tested in a synthetic analysis of 30 follow-up studies on happiness and longevity. It appears that happiness does not predict longevity in sick populations, but that it does predict longevity among healthy populations So, happiness does not cure illness but it does protect against becoming ill. The effect of happiness on longevity in healthy populations is remarkably strong. The size of the effect is comparable to that of smoking or not.
If so, public health can also be promoted by policies that aim at greater happiness of a greater number. That can be done by strengthening individual life-abilities and by improving the livability of the social environment. Some policies are proposed. Both ways of promoting health through happiness require more research on conditions for happiness.
Labels:

Comments

Stephan Guyenet said…
Hi Chris,

I've always wondered about these types of studies. They're really just identifying associations. Happier people tend to die less. But maybe they're happy for the same reasons they're dying less, i.e. neurological differences, metabolic differences, income level etc.

Seems like it would be hard to tease these things apart. You'd need an intervention trial, which I'm not sure would be feasible for something like happiness. Although there are some interesting intervention trials on meditation.

For the record, I do think psychological factors affect health. I just wish we had a more definitive way of getting at the effects.
August 5, 2008 at 2:34 PM
Chris said…
Stephan,

You are right about association rather than causation.

Have you read Malcolm Kendrick's Great Cholesterol Con. After demolishing the lipid hypothesis he makes a convincing argument that stress and its effect on the HPA axis is the cause (maybe association again) of heart disease and much else.

I think he makes the same points on the video here
August 5, 2008 at 2:45 PM
Stephan Guyenet said…
Chris,

I haven't read that, thanks for the info.
August 5, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Rannoch Donald said…
thanks for this post Chris.

No questions, this is a very difficult area to quantify with hard science.

What can't be denied is that a life well lived is it's own reward.

I'm not sure the value of longevity with out contenement.

R
August 7, 2008 at 3:45 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dry January

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was taking part in "Dry January".  I didn't make a big song and dance about it, but I decided to go for a calendar month or so with no alcohol.  A few people have asked me about my experience, so here are a few points. Why take a break from drinking? Alcohol is an interesting topic.  As a drug it is widely accepted in society, central to so much of our socialising and leisure.  There seem to be lots of health benefits - so we are told - yet there are also a lot of problems in terms of health, relationships and lifestyle that come from drinking. Over a few years I'd begun to become aware and then concerned that I was drinking too much and too regularly.  I am in a busy and stressful job and sometimes a glass of wine after work to relax is really helpful.  But over time, one glass became two.  Two glasses became ....I might as well finish the bottle.  A habit got established....and was starting to get too e...
7 comments
Read more

So where have I been?

You will have noticed that this blog has been quiet for a while....  There are a few reasons for that, reasons that I thought I'd list here: WORK -  my day job has been incredibly busy and stressful this year. Working 10-14 hour days the last thing on my mind when I got home was putting something on here.  FACEBOOK/TWITTER - I suppose I've been using other channels to do some of what I used to do here. Quick fire posts pointing to interesting studies or news etc tend to get posted to Twitter (@chrishighcock) or to the Facebook Hillfit group http://www.facebook.com/groups/263083947097000/  REASSESSMENT - I've found myself less comfortable with some of the positions I've taken in the past. Sometimes I'm embarrassed by some of the things I've promoted. I'm not Paleo or low carb. I think Tabata and intervals are misunderstood and misapplied. I cannot really claim to be HIT.   I find myselfunable  honestly to post things on here and pretend that I am some sort o...
12 comments
Read more

Taking up space for a brief update

I've a couple of posts in draft that I will get up soon -  an update / reflection on Dry January and some thoughts on the scheduling benefits of short workouts if your life is busy.  Before that though, I am pointing to something else. However, I wanted to highlight something that is coming this weekend that I've been involved in.   Amber Rogers (Gokaleo and author of Taking Up Space ) has been pulling together a bundle of books from various authors with a common theme, one that I've been pushing here recently.   Keep it simple, avoid the hype, be patient, be consistent and flee the gurus.   I've talked before about how we get obsessed with pushing for more and more, when enough is OK.  I've given my view that so much of the health and fitness internet world is more like a gnostic religion than something that will benefit your life. There are other voices out there saying similar things and I'll be pointing to a bundle of books later this week ...
1 comment
Read more