For many medical scientists, the age of 45 is the commencement of late middle-age, a path that continues until someone reaches 64, after which old age begins. Of course this is mere textbook stuff; people differ considerably through the ageing process.
The focal point of the age of 45 is a useful segway to a new study that indicates that it is precisley at the age of 45 when people, living in the UK at least, hit their ‘health and happiness’ peak.
Sadly, this is not based on a breakthrough in science, where specific biomarkers are peaking, but rather on a limited poll (2,000 people), surveying those who are within the 40 to 50 year-old bandwidth. Demographic groups outside these ranges are not considered, thereby making the survey somewhat self-selecting.
Perhaps gazing at magazines featuring people in the public spotlight who are currently aged 45 – Cause Celebs like Kourtney Kardashian, Kate Hudson, Chris Pratt and Jason Momoa – 45 appears to be resonate as the ‘golden number’ amongst the 40 to 50 year-old cohort.
Here 57 percent of 40–59-year-olds state that the notion of midlife being a negative state of affairs is old fashioned and outdated.
The survey was commissioned by a food manufacturer called Weetabix. Probing the lives of people, the survey found that those seemingly peaking at 45 engaged in activities that gave them mental and physical wellbeing such as:
Joining a gym (24 percent),
Learning a language (14 percent),
Starting to meditate (13 percent),
Doing yoga (13 percent),
Taking up hiking (12 percent),
Volunteering for charity (11 percent)
Travelling (10 percent).
Overall, 54 percent stated that looking after your mind and body is a priority when hitting forty, with a quarter of middle-aged Britons insisting that feeling their best also includes starting the day in a healthy way.
Additional findings showed how 77 percent are more content with their life aged forty plus, with 65 percent saying this comes down to not being bothered by what others think about you, while 59 percent say they now know what really matters in life.
Moreover, 46 percent put this down to feeling happy in their relationships, with 37 percent admitting they no longer feel the need to compete with others.
Furthermore, as many as 62 percent are trying to get fitter in middle age, with a quarter (27 percent) insisting they’re in better shape than when they were in their twenties and thirties.
The research also indicates that almost a third (32 percent) of 40-59 year olds are making a bigger effort to watch what they eat now they’re older, prioritising getting enough vitamins and nutrients into their diet.
How accurate these findings are is difficult to determine; perhaps what shines through is how the people, surveyed shine through and are prepared to keep relatively healthy and happy. The richness of pursuits demonstrates how blanket prescriptions for increases the pursuit of happiness are not necessarily desirable for all persons of a given age group.
