How Old is Your Body?

I came across an X post these week promoting a “Body Age”. By completing the survey - 5 simple questions! - you can find your metabolic age and compare that to your chronological age (i.e. How old you are).

The difference between your metabolic age and your age-age, will show how healthy you are…if the result is lower than your curent age, you are healthier than others at your same age.

If the result is higher, well, it’s time to hit the gym.

You can find the test here.

According to Dennis Mangan - a must follow on X if you’re serious about living a healthy life - this survey is based on the Norwegian Nord-Trøndelag Health Study.

This study was a large-scale effort to gather health information from a people living in Nord-Trøndelag County in Norway. It was intended to provide a comprehensive picture of the health status and trends. While specific to just this geographic area, the results can be applied to all people.

The findings included:

1. Vitamin D is Important: People who had more vitamin D in their body were less likely to gain weight over time.

2. Heart Problems and Rheumatoid Arthritis: Individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, which affects the joints, were found to have a higher chance of getting heart diseases. The flip side was true too…having heart problems before could increase the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis as you age.

3. Drink Up?: In older adults, using drugs that can be addictive didn't lead to more deaths, but for men, it did increase their chances of dying. Frequent drinking didn't really change the risk of dying, but did increase the risk for…..

4. Dementia: A lot of the study is focused on dementia. There was a special part of the study that looked at older people with memory problems. For example:

   A. Maintaining or improving fitness levels over time can reduce the risk of developing dementia and influence the onset and longevity after diagnosis.

   B. Caring for a spouse with dementia can significantly affect the caregiver's mental health and life satisfaction.

Take the test - it’s quick - and see how your results measure up. Even if you don’t care for the result, the good news is access to information to get - and keep - you health is readily available.