subject: What Do They Know That We Don't? [print this page] What Do They Know That We Don't? What Do They Know That We Don't?
Working long hours may increase our heart attack risk. A new analysis of "Whitehall ll" - which followed more than 7,000 healthy, middle-aged civil servants in the UK for an average of 12 years - was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. People who worked an average of 11 or more hours daily had a 67% higher risk of heart attack or death from heart disease. Those who worked 10-11 hours had a 45% higher risk. Working long hours is an indicator of an unhealthy lifestyle of stress, lack of exercise and takeout food of working ourselves to death.
We are forgetful when we're happy. A University of Missouri study assessed the moods of 180 college students before and after half watched a comedy video for 15 minutes and half watched a home improvement video. The comedy viewers were happier. Then the students were given a memory test to remember the last 6 numbers in a list of 12-20 single-digit numbers without knowing how many numbers were in the list. Although the test was repeated 18 times per student, the happy students had more difficulty focusing on one thing. Perhaps that's the success of "happy hours".
If we are attractive, we're happier. That's according to economists at the University of Texas at Austin who study the interrelationship of looks, success and money. The economists reviewed 5 large, international studies that included more than 25,000 participants whose attractiveness was assessed by set guidelines. They concluded that good-looking men are happier primarily because of indirect, economic benefits - higher earnings, better-looking and higher-earning spouses, ease of getting loans, etc. For women, however, indirect benefits account for only half of the effect of beauty on happiness. The other half is direct better-looking women just feel happier. At least that is how it "looks" to those economists.
The best years of our lives may be in our 80's because it's easier to be happy. According to the book "You Are Looking Very Well" by Lewis Wolpert, professor emeritus of biology at University College London, people become increasingly cheerful and optimistic after their mid-40's until their late 70's or 80's. This is due to maturity, fewer responsibilities and focusing on things that really matter. A study by the American Academy of Sciences supports this theory. Other research shows both vocabulary and decision-making improve with age, but math skills worsen unless we become more "calculating".
