Middle Age A Global Bummer

(WebMD)  If life is a journey, happiness hits a speed bump in middle age for people worldwide, a new study shows.

But on the bright side, emotional well-being perks up again with age, according to the report.

Those findings come from more than 204,000 people in 72 countries. They rated their happiness or life satisfaction.

Around the world, from Austria to Zimbabwe, happiness ratings were higher before and after middle age. Picture a U-shaped curve, with middle age down in the valley of the U.


Getting Back to Happiness

U.S. men were almost 53 years old when they emerged from their midlife blues; U.S. women shifted back toward happiness earlier, when they were about 39 years old.

Those ages varied somewhat around the world, with the 40s as the turning point for men and women in Europe and developing countries.

The findings are based on adults of all ages. But participants weren't followed over time; the study was a snapshot of worldwide well-being.

Marriage, income, and education didn't explain the results. The impact of health on happiness wasn't part of the study.

The report comes from two economics professors: David Blanchflower, PhD, of Dartmouth College and Andrew Oswald, DPhil, of England's University of Warwick.

Why the Midlife Downturn?

The study doesn't show why happiness dips in midlife and picks back up again later. But the researchers have three theories:

• People adapt to their strengths and weakness, ditching unrealistic expectations during middle age.


• Cheerful people may live longer, making for more happiness later in life.


• In middle age, a person may look around at others who have had a hard time and start to appreciate their own lives more.

Of course, the data paint a very broad picture. The findings don't mean that middle age is miserable for everyone.

The study is due to appear in an upcoming edition of Social Science & Medicine, according to a University of Warwick news release.



By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
©2008 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved

[future121]

Middle age falls somewhere between when you are to young to "know" and when you are too old to care.

[b-easy63]

I''''m 40... I''''m feeling wierd watching my kids grow, and wondering what I''''ll do to bide my time later in life.

I guess playing with the grandkids will be the new thing???

Posted by Seeq2Learn at 08:09 PM : Jan 29, 2008


By 40, for the last generation, they often already had grandkids and most of their kids were already grown. But due to women pushing the age to become mothers back--many will still be taking kids to school, when they should be anticipating retirement.

[b-easy63]

If one is to live to be age 10, middle age is 5. Based on average life expectancies... Easily between 35 and 45 years old should cover the bulk of what is middle age. I stand to be corrected.

Posted by l8c6 at 06:21 PM : Jan 29, 2008


General consensus is middle age starts around 38 to 40 and lasts until about 55. 55 is the age where a person can start getting benefits for being part of AARP plus they get senior citizen discounts at restaurants. it is also the age, where even exercise and botox can''t tame that turkey neck and where those crepe like lines on the wrist, forearms and thighs-says the skin is in decline and so is the person in it. Also the beginning of the really deep frown lines and eye flaps. About 57-65, the hands start buckling and the really huge, arthritic *** appear to mock the many rings that draw attention to them.

[b-easy63]

Perhaps unhappiness in midlife occurs when people realize that they are not only going to NOT live forever, but that they also will not accomplish most of the things they swore they would have done by then. (Who among us, did not imagine themselves to be rich by 30 and living the life of Riley by 45?).

I think the happiness comes from the same thing--recognizing the milestones and won''t get done...but this time, coming to terms with it and being thankful for what we have. Some never get past the regret--but most decide to make the best out of the time that is left. We even can laugh when we see the same kind of "bold initiatives" and daydreams and wild ambition surfacing in our kids and grandkids. Not that it can''t be realized...but for most people-- a lot of it will always be a pipe dream--the great thing about being young--is that they don''t realize or accept that. Yet.

[efilsih]

At my current age of 74 years, I am primarily engaged in the success of the following referenced undertaking,and could use all the assistence which hopefully will be coming forth:

Humanity International , a Creative Private
Enterprise venture registered in the Central American
conutry of Belize, is to convene, the first ever
Conference of Ordinary Peoples Around the World.

The said Confernce will be held on more than 30 acres
of land off of, Mile 8 1/2 Western Highway, Belize
City, Belize ...Central America...starting at 10:00 AM
on 17 July 2008, and concluding at 3:00 PM on 18 July
2008.






"This Humanity International Conference is intended
and designed to set forth the justifications for not
merely "rocking the boat" which carries miseries,
sufferings, deprivations, and degradations, largely
upon the backs of Ordinary Peoples around the World"
...,but to "Sink the Ships"..says Efil Sih , "which
bear the means and methods of continuing to administer
those conditions upon lives of the Ordinary Peoples
Around the World."

Respectively submitted,

Efil Sih
Volunteers of all kinds are urged to paticipate in
making this Conference the Giant Success which it
certainly should be. For further information, Please contact:

Efil Sih
[phone]

[efilsih]

At my current age of 74 years, I am primarily engaged in the success of the following referenced undertaking,and could use all the assistence which hopefully will be coming forth:

Humanity International , a Creative Private
Enterprise venture registered in the Central American
conutry of Belize, is to convene, the first ever
Conference of Ordinary Peoples Around the World.

The said Confernce will be held on more than 30 acres
of land off of, Mile 8 1/2 Western Highway, Belize
City, Belize ...Central America...starting at 10:00 AM
on 17 July 2008, and concluding at 3:00 PM on 18 July
2008.






"This Humanity International Conference is intended
and designed to set forth the justifications for not
merely "rocking the boat" which carries miseries,
sufferings, deprivations, and degradations, largely
upon the backs of Ordinary Peoples around the World"
...,but to "Sink the Ships"..says Efil Sih , "which
bear the means and methods of continuing to administer
those conditions upon lives of the Ordinary Peoples
Around the World."

Respectively submitted,

Efil Sih
Volunteers of all kinds are urged to paticipate in
making this Conference the Giant Success which it
certainly should be. For further information, Please contact:

Efil Sih
[phone]

[stddating]

Yes,hopefully few find themselves dying of natural causes at age 60 though in the early part of the 20th century 60 was old and many did die about that age.

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[seeq2learn]

I''m 40... I''m feeling wierd watching my kids grow, and wondering what I''ll do to bide my time later in life.

I guess playing with the grandkids will be the new thing???

[l8c6]

30-40

Posted by jlmcscanner

Hopefully few find themselves dying of natural causes at age 60 though in the early part of the 20th century 60 was old and many did die about that age.

[l8c6]

So just exactly when does middle age start and end?

Posted by erasmus6

If one is to live to be age 10, middle age is 5. Based on average life expectancies... Easily between 35 and 45 years old should cover the bulk of what is middle age. I stand to be corrected.