Do you feel old? It turns out that many 100-year-olds don’t. Those who do say they didn’t start to feel old until they hit their 80s. And they didn’t look back on childhood as the happiest time of their lives. When asked when they felt most happy, the average age turned out to be 44.
Twenty-five percent of centenarians credit positive attitude as the most important factor for staying healthy. Sixty-one percent believe themselves to be positive people, and 47 percent say positivity gets easier with age.
Here are some more fascinating insights from UnitedHealthcare’s annual survey of centenarians and 10-year-olds.
What 100-year-olds have to say about aging
On average, 100-year-olds feel about 79-years-old. Sixty percent say they don’t feel old at all. Twenty-five percent say a positive attitude is the most important factor for staying healthy. Twenty-one percent say it’s eating healthy, 10 percent say exercise and nine percent say it’s keeping busy.
Looking back, 100-year-olds felt:
- happiest at 44
- healthiest at 46
- most wise at 49
- most content at 56
How 100-year-olds and 10-year-olds view life
On when you start to get old: It’s a matter of perspective
100-year-olds: of those who felt old, most didn’t feel that way until they hit their 80s
10-year-olds: people start to get old at 46
10-year-olds: people start to get old at 46
On exercise preferences
100-year-olds:
- walking or hiking: 46%
- exercise to strengthen muscles: 34%
- meditation or other stress-relieving activities: 29%
- cardiovascular indoors: 24%
- working in a garden: 23%
10-year-olds:
- playing outside: 74%
- playing active video games: 60%
- sports like baseball, basketball, soccer, tennis: 51%
- bike riding: 47%
- running outside: 42%
On being a positive person: It gets better with age
100-year-olds: 61% say they are positive people, and 47% say this gets easier with age
10-year-olds: 44% call themselves positive people
On the key to fueling positivity
100-year-olds: 11% credit family and friends
10-year-olds: 31% say family and friends
On the importance of family
Family is a top priority for both groups and being with family and going on vacation are among their best childhood memories. Also:
100-year-olds: 45% would rather spend time with family than anyone else in the world and 83% say they speak with extended family daily or weekly
10-year-olds: 40% would choose family over anyone else and 84% say they speak with extended family daily or weekly
On which celebrity to invite to dinner: It’s a generational thing
100-year-olds: 63% want to dine with Betty White
10-year-olds: 67% want to share a meal with Taylor Swift (66% of centenarians don’t know who she is)
On childhood role models
100-year-olds: 46% name their parents as childhood role models
10-year-olds: 71% name their parents
Both groups were twice as likely to name their mother as their father, but one 10-year-old gave this piece of advice: “Never stop singing and dancing, even if your mom says you are too loud.”
On money: The times they are a-changin’
100-year-olds: only 18% received an allowance as a child; 56% of those earned a dollar or less per week
10-year-olds: 48% receive a weekly allowance; 80% of them get between $5 and $20
On dining out
100-year-olds: rarely, if ever, dined out with family as children
10-year-olds: 56% eat out at least once a week
On childhood toys
100-year-olds: 35% say dolls were their favorite
10-year-olds: 32% favor video games
On selfies
100-year-olds: only 1% have ever taken a selfie and 43% don’t know what a selfie is
10-year-olds: 2/3 have taken a selfie
10-year-olds look forward to being older so they can:
- do what they want: 15%
- drive: 14%
- going to college: 7%
- live on their own: 7%
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