More than half Americans over 40 feel seven years YOUNGER than they really are, study finds

Joan Collins once said ‘age is just a number’ and a new study finds the English actor was right – more than half of Americans feel younger than their actual age.

A survey conducted among 2,000 Americans reveals 77 percent of those over 40 years old feel seven years young than they really are and nearly half refuse to admit they are aging.

Feeling youthful was not based on the individual’s energy or vibrancy or luster for life, but more than half reported that they still see their ‘younger selves’ in the mirror.

However, when a person hears a song they know being played on an ‘oldies’ station or squinting at small prints remind them that they are getting up there in age.

The survey was commissioned by Foster Grant, an American eyewear brand, and conducted by OnePoll, reports Study Finds.

Those who participated noted they try to not admit they are aging in fear others may perceive them as looking older and think they are not as vibrant as they once were.

And this in turn led to 39 percent stating they will hold off on getting glasses for as long as possible – respondents feel glasses make them look older.

The survey found incidences that remind Americans they are getting older. 

Feeling youthful was not based on the individual’s energy or vibrancy or luster for life, but more than half reported that they still see their ‘younger selves’ in the mirror

The most reported was hearing a memorable song on an oldies radio station, followed by catching themselves squinting while reading and groaning while standing up from a seated position.

Americans also note that seeing a new celebrity, trouble with seeing in a dimly lit room and not having a TikTok account are all contributors to making them feel old.

Respondents, however, stated that they do not accept they are aging until they are 47 years old, which falls in line with a previous study released in November 2020.

This was deemed the magical number for when most Americans feel their glory days have come to an end.

And just three years after, at the age of 50, is when worrying about age-related bodily changes begin.

The study found that 64 percent of respondents are concerned about their thinking abilities, with many nothing they forget people’s names after meeting them and lose their train of thought at least once per day.

Although growing old is imminent, 65 percent of the 2,000 participants said it is one of their greatest fears.

Approximately 25 percent reported losing their train of thought at least once per day and 20 percent find it happens multiple times in one day.

However, many are concerned about losing brain power, 84 percent say they are not taking action to improve it.

As an aging brain is people’s biggest worries, scientists are working on ways to avoid this problem.

A team at Northwestern University found zapping older people’s brains could sharpen their memories to be as good as those of people decades younger.

Scientists found stimulating a certain part of the brain boosted the memory of over-64s who had normal age-related memory loss.

It worked so well the researchers saw no difference in the test results of volunteers who’d had the therapy and younger, healthier adults.

Their 16 participants were aged between 64 and 80 years old and had normal levels of memory problems for their age.

After five days of having their brain zapped with low-level electrical currents for 20 minutes per day, their memory ability was on par with people years younger.

‘Older people’s memory got better up to the level that we could no longer tell them apart from younger people,’ said the lead investigator, Dr Joel Voss.

‘They got substantially better.’