Happiness can give you 10 more years

Happiness brings up to 10 years longer life by stopping you from getting ill, according to a new Dutch comparative study.

30 studies carried out worldwide over periods ranging from one to 60 years were reviewed by Professor Ruut Veenhoven of Rotterdam's Erasmus University.

He said the effects of happiness on longevity were 'comparable to that of smoking or not'.

That special flair for feeling good, he said, could lengthen life by between 7.5 and 10 years.

The findings, to be published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, a scientific publication founded in 2000, found the strongest effect on longevity was found among a group of US nuns followed through their adult life.

Happy people were more inclined to watch their weight, were more perceptive of symptoms of illness, tended to be more moderate with smoking and drinking and generally lived healthier lives.

They were also more active, more open to the world, more self-confident, made better choices and built more social networks.
'For the time being we know that happiness fosters physical health, but not precisely how,' he wrote.

As well as calling for more research, Dr Veenhoven called on governments to educate people in the art of living well, helping to develop the ability to enjoy life, to make the best choices, to keep developing and to see a meaning in life.

'If we feel unhealthy we go to a medical general practitioner,' he said. 'If we feel unhappy there is no such generalist. We have to guess.'