Many may give the impression that they are older than their real age, perhaps because of their behavior or the quality of their clothes, or perhaps there are other things!
Researchers have warned that if you look older than your real age, it may be a sign that you are at greater risk of developing age-related diseases such as osteoporosis, hearing loss, and possibly glaucoma.
According to a report published by the British Daily Mail, academics in the Netherlands estimated the age of about 2,700 people between the ages of 50 and 90, based only on pictures of their faces.
The results revealed that participants who looked five years younger than their actual age had better reasoning skills. They were also a quarter less likely to suffer from medical problems, such as cataracts.
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In other words, if you look younger than your age, the health of your organ systems, body and mind is likely to reflect this, according to Professor Tamar Nijsten, a dermatologist at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, who led the research team.
The link between youthful appearance and various common age-related health problems was investigated. The researchers found that youthful appearance was associated with lower measures of routine aging.
“This is probably the best study to date that provides evidence that age also reflects intrinsic aging. The study shows that something is happening, likely at a biological level and beyond usual lifestyle factors such as UV exposure or smoking,” Nijsten added.
The researchers collected front and side photos of 2,679 people who were not wearing any makeup or jewelry. The participants were 66 years old, on average. Then an independent panel of 27 people estimated their age based solely on their appearance.
Each volunteer was given an age score, which was calculated by taking the difference between age and estimated age.
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For example, someone who thinks they look seven years younger than their biological age would have a score of 7. The higher the score, the younger the person looks.
After estimating ages and calculating the results, the experts reviewed their lifestyle and health data, such as weight, smoking habits and health status.
The results, published in the British Journal of Dermatology, revealed that the groups who looked five years younger than their age performed better on cognitive tests.
The group was 15 percent less likely to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a lung disease that causes breathing difficulties – and 24 percent less likely to develop osteoporosis.
Younger people were also 16 percent less likely to develop cataracts and 24 percent less likely to have age-related hearing loss.
The researchers said their findings, which are based solely on observational evidence, support the idea that doctors can use how old a person looks as a “diagnostic guide”. The study did not examine the reasons behind this finding.
But the team believes that the biological process that makes the face look older – such as less fat and the development of wrinkles – is also behind changes in tissue and bone density, which are linked to health conditions.
The researchers note that the people included in the study were Europeans, so future studies are needed to examine whether the findings apply to different population groups around the world.