I am a 50-year-old woman but people say I look like a 30-year old. Have I stopped ageing, or is something wrong with me?
Abbas (by SMS)
Nothing is wrong with you. Researchers in the Netherlands found that participants who looked five years younger than their actual age exhibited better cognitive abilities and were up to 25% less likely to suffer from age-related conditions, such as cataracts, hearing loss, and osteoporosis.
Conversely, the participants who looked older than they actually were had a higher risk of age-related illnesses. In other words, if you look younger than you are, then the health of your organ systems, body and mind are likely to reflect this.
Conversely, those who look older than their actual age may experience a higher risk of death than those who look their age. These findings led the authors to conclude that one’s facial appearance is associated with both physical and cognitive health. How old a person looks could thus be used as an additional clinical marker during physical assessment.