Feeling younger may mean living longer

Claiming to feel younger than your age isn't just whistling into the wind. It can also mean you have more years ahead than some of your former classmates. According to a report in the Dec. 15, 2014, issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, older people who felt three or more years younger than their chronological age had a lower death rate compared with those who felt their age or older.

Two researchers at University College London looked at the responses of about 6,500 men and women with an average age of 65 who answered the question, "How old do you feel you are?" About 70% reported that they felt three or more years younger than their years, while 25% felt close to their age, and 5% felt more than one year older than they were.