How old are you?

[Laura Corin]

Apparently, I'm 38.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zg3hk7h

 

It actually makes sense when I look at my Mum: our lifestyles are similar and she moved like a middle-aged woman well into her eighties, only giving up riding her Honda 125 motorbike at the age of 85.

 

I do understand that luck and genes have a lot to do with it too.

 

ETA: if you can't see my siggy, I'm actually 53

Edited April 7, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Bluegoat]

I got 33, which I guess is good.

 

A lot of the questions were lifestyle oriented.  I thought it was interesting that they didn't ask about health issues.

[Pink and Green Mom]

I'm apparently 34.  Oh if only.

[Wheres Toto]

I got 41 despite a lack of exercise and pretty high BMI.  I'm actually 46.

[Laura Corin]

I got 33, which I guess is good.

 

A lot of the questions were lifestyle oriented. I thought it was interesting that they didn't ask about health issues.

The exercise question is partly a proxy for this: if you have chronic lung disease you may not be able to exercise much, for example

[Bluegoat]

The exercise question is partly a proxy for this: if you have chronic lung disease you may not be able to exercise much, for example

 

Yes, and some others as well I think.  But, for example if I had diabetes, I might exersize and have a great BMI, but I wouldn't likely say I had a younger than my years body.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Laura - I'm 52 and have chronic pain/illness etc. and my score came out to 39.  I answered everything truthfully but it didn't ask the right questions.  In reality, my score should be older than my real age. 

[Seeking Squirrels]

I'm 34 and got 43 :/

[Laura Corin]

Laura - I'm 52 and have chronic pain/illness etc. and my score came out to 39. I answered everything truthfully but it didn't ask the right questions. In reality, my score should be older than my real age.

Don't answer this if you don't want to, but could it be that it was talking about life expectancy rather than healthy lifespan?

 

Or it could just be dealing in averages.

[Ali in OR]

I'm also 38 (but really 50). And thankfully I know the lb-->kilo conversion because I have no idea what a st is. Stone? How many lbs is that?

[Laura Corin]

I'm also 38 (but really 50). And thankfully I know the lb-->kilo conversion because I have no idea what a st is. Stone? How many lbs is that?

A stone is 14 pounds.

[UCF612]

It said 34, I'm 34 in June.

Edited April 7, 2016 by UCF612

[happi duck]

Ugh. My score was 5 years higher than my age.

[Guest]

A stone is 14 pounds.

I thought I probably messed that up. I thought a stone was twenty pounds. So I made myself heavier than I should have.

 

I got 42; i turn 45 tomorrow. I think these kind of quizzes are difficult, though, because there's so much nuance that isn't accounted for. For instance, sometimes I go a long stretch without an alcoholic beverage. I don't have any in the house and I'm not compelled to go get some. But then, perhaps I have a party and then there are beverages around for the next few weeks and I might have one every few nights.

 

Obviously, it's not a highly scientific test, though.

[MommaOfalotta]

I got 30. I'm 27. Not too bad. :)

[wintermom]

Scored 10 years younger than my actual age. To get a lower score on their test, I 'd have to be a different human being  (always optimistic), or change things I don't see as a medical issue at all.  

 

If I keep doing exactly what I'm doing, when I'm 70 I'll be 45 according to them. 

[brehon]

Well, I was going to say old enough to know better and young enough have fun.

 

I forgot what a stone was, too, and made myself heavier than I am. My actual and body age are the same - 44. Not real sure what that means.

[Lady Florida.]

According to this test I'm 5 years younger than my chronological age. I might have actually scored another 3-5 years younger than that, but the questions were not easy enough to answer. I have in the past scored as high as 10 years younger than my age on tests like this, and that's even with my chronic pain condition.

[Annie G]

I'm 55 and the test said 47. I fiddled with the answers on the results page and the biggest change I could make would be fasting - it would lower my age to 40. Wow!   

[JustEm]

The test said I'm 29. My actual age is 29.

[wintermom]

I'm 55 and the test said 47. I fiddled with the answers on the results page and the biggest change I could make would be fasting - it would lower my age to 40. Wow!   

 

Yes, this was one area I didn't agree with. Fasting for longer periods of time increases body age, fasting regularly lowers it.  I wouldn't jump on the "fasting" band wagon right away unless it fit in well with your overall health.

[Annie G]

Yes, this was one area I didn't agree with. Fasting for longer periods of time increases body age, fasting regularly lowers it.  I wouldn't jump on the "fasting" band wagon right away unless it fit in well with your overall health.

 

No, fasting isn't for me. I naturally eat only in a 10-12 hour window every day but that's not fasting...it's more like not snacking after dinner. g   I get hangry when I skip meals- my family would not encourage me to fast. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

Don't answer this if you don't want to, but could it be that it was talking about life expectancy rather than healthy lifespan?

 

Or it could just be dealing in averages.

 

I don't understand your question.  Are you saying that you think it is saying that we will live 38/39 more years?  I don't think so.  After all, it is touted as saying that it is discovering your "real age" or "biological age".  I'm assuming that it is saying that I should have the stamina and health of a 39 year old all because of my lifestyle.  But since I didn't cause my illness by having a crappy lifestyle, but actually have a good lifestyle, it says that I am younger than my chronological age.  Again - a good lifestyle is good but it doesn't give you any specific guarantees of anything.  (BTW - due to the longevity of my parents, I very well could live another 40 years - hopefully it will not be another 40 years of pain to add to the 30 years I've already put under my belt.)

[Wheres Toto]

I thought I probably messed that up. I thought a stone was twenty pounds. So I made myself heavier than I should have.

 

I got 42; i turn 45 tomorrow. I think these kind of quizzes are difficult, though, because there's so much nuance that isn't accounted for. For instance, sometimes I go a long stretch without an alcoholic beverage. I don't have any in the house and I'm not compelled to go get some. But then, perhaps I have a party and then there are beverages around for the next few weeks and I might have one every few nights.

 

Obviously, it's not a highly scientific test, though.

 

I thought a stone was 20 pounds too.  Whoops.

[Mom22ns]

Another 38. I'm 48.

[myfunnybunch]

I knocked 10 years off my actual age. :)

[J-rap]

10 years younger than my age.  But I really messed up the first time when I just guessed how many stones I weighed!

[chocolatechip]

11 years younger than actual age. 

[Laura Corin]

I don't understand your question.  Are you saying that you think it is saying that we will live 38/39 more years?  I don't think so.  After all, it is touted as saying that it is discovering your "real age" or "biological age".  I'm assuming that it is saying that I should have the stamina and health of a 39 year old all because of my lifestyle.  But since I didn't cause my illness by having a crappy lifestyle, but actually have a good lifestyle, it says that I am younger than my chronological age.  Again - a good lifestyle is good but it doesn't give you any specific guarantees of anything.  (BTW - due to the longevity of my parents, I very well could live another 40 years - hopefully it will not be another 40 years of pain to add to the 30 years I've already put under my belt.)

 

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear.  I was assuming that it was talking about ones likelihood of living long, rather than anything about current stamina and health.  I've been watching the associated telly programme in bits, and it's mostly talking about longevity.

 

I'm sorry things are so hard for you - I didn't mean to make anything worse, and I definitely wasn't intending to blame anyone for bad luck or faulty genes.

[Melissa in Australia]

32, 11 years younger than my actual age

[DawnM]

Mine said 49.  I exercise a few times per week, don't smoke, don't drink, but sometimes eat processed foods.  I also said I have lots of support in my life.   Those where my answers.

 

I have no idea what would have made my score lower but don't have time to play with their algorithm.  

Edited April 8, 2016 by DawnM

[DawnM]

I'm 55 and the test said 47. I fiddled with the answers on the results page and the biggest change I could make would be fasting - it would lower my age to 40. Wow!   

 

Ah, yeah, I personally don't agree with that one.

[Bluegoat]

I am really really skeptical of the fasting business.  THough I wondered a bit what they were counting as fasting, there are actually all kinds of fasting.

 

I can't totally fast myself, even if I wanted to, I tend to faint if I don't eat in the morning.

[Night Elf]

I think the smoking question got me. It asked how long have you smoked or if you did in the past how long. I smoked for 15 years but I quit 16 years ago. I also rarely exercise and I think that counted against me. I did horribly. I'm only 48 and my body age is 59.

[Mergath]

I got 29 and I'm 32, but I don't think it's too accurate. I'm definitely feeling my age lately (and then some, lol). 

[Loesje22000]

6 years olders then I am.

[Pam in CT]

re measurement systems:

 

A stone is 14 pounds.

 

OK, that cracks me up.  (Since the form doesn't take a 3-digit number in the "pounds" field-- which BTW really would seem to an easy fix if bbc were interested in mining global data-- I had to convert pounds to kilos.)  That is even goofier than the American measurement system of miles / ounces / Fahrenheit etc.  You go from pounds, to calculating how many 14-pound stones plus the leftover pounds?  And that's really how people think of their weights?   :lol:

 

 

Anyway, I'm really 52 but came out as 46.  When I tinkered to see how I could improve, the two items that made a difference were to fast (not happening!) and to somehow become an optimist (I actually struggled with how to answer this -- like many people who aren't by disposition outwardly bubbly/sunny/cheerful on a day-to-day basis, I think of myself as a realist with deep and enduring hope for the long term... but as that was not among my choices, I answered  mostly-pessimist).

[Laura Corin]

re measurement systems:

 

 

OK, that cracks me up.  (Since the form doesn't take a 3-digit number in the "pounds" field-- which BTW really would seem to an easy fix if bbc were interested in mining global data-- I had to convert pounds to kilos.)  That is even goofier than the American measurement system of miles / ounces / Fahrenheit etc.  You go from pounds, to calculating how many 14-pound stones plus the leftover pounds?  And that's really how people think of their weights?   :lol:

 

We don't know our weight in straight pounds.  Younger people tend to think in kilos.  Older people in stone and pounds - I'm on the cusp, as I used to think in stone and now think in kilos.  Any time I need to convert to American, I have to multiply out the stone and pounds.

 

The medical system thinks in kilos, then translates as necessary.

 

 

[Bluegoat]

I just went to an online converter to translate lbs into st and lbs.

[Chris in VA]

I came out my actual age, 53. It said I could lose weight to improve my score.

Sigh. As if I didn't know.

 

WRT fasting, I just saw a news report last night that said there is now good evidence that the 5:2 way of eating is very beneficial. I think it's also known as incremental fasting(??). Anyway, in that system (which I know some of you do), the "fast" is not total abstinence from eating, but eating only 500 calories twice a week. That seems doable. Maybe that is how the test sees fasting? IDK>

[ashfern]

I'm 44 and it said 36. After the test you can change the answers to see how it would affect your age. I never go to the doctor. I changed that answer and it knocked 2 more years off my age.

[Penguin]

I'm 55 and the test said 47. I fiddled with the answers on the results page and the biggest change I could make would be fasting - it would lower my age to 40. Wow!   

I also fiddled and got the biggest boost by adding fasting. Well, I could get a pet. Too bad the quiz does not account for severe animal allergies :) I am 51 and got 39.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear.  I was assuming that it was talking about ones likelihood of living long, rather than anything about current stamina and health.  I've been watching the associated telly programme in bits, and it's mostly talking about longevity.

 

I'm sorry things are so hard for you - I didn't mean to make anything worse, and I definitely wasn't intending to blame anyone for bad luck or faulty genes.

 

Oh you didn't make anything worse.  I took the test fulling expecting to be told that I was 80 or something!  I thought that it was interesting that I basically got the same answer as you did or close anyway. 

 

Pain might very well shave years off of my life, though I've seen conflicting studies on that.  Some say that the constant stress of pain affects longevity negatively.  Some point to the much higher incidence of suicide among chronic pain sufferers. And of course, many chronic pain illnesses actually affect your organs so the illness itself can lower your life expectancy.  But the test did not ask anything at all about pain or even illness in general so I didn't get dinged for that.

 

I am all for good lifestyle choices.  It is a lot easier to retreat into bad lifestyle choices when there is pain and illness in your life.  And it can become a viscous cycle   Bad lifestyle choices can cause health problems on their own as well. 

[BlsdMama]

Body age is 35.  Although I take exception to the question about diet - there's an awful lot of controversy over those choices.  :P

This is assuming lugging around a 25 pound 1 year old, gardening, and remodeling counts as exercise... LOL.  Surely they do not mean running?