You are not alone if your mental age does not match your chronological one. Research shows that it's common for most older people to feel about 13 years younger than they actually are

THERE'S A lot more truth to the adage ' you are as old as you think' than imaginable. This explains why some people can pass off as 10 years younger than their chronological age, while others look and feel a decade older than they are. There are many reasons for this disparity between our physical and mental ages. This may happen due to medical disorders, or just be literally ' in our heads.' Anti- ageing experts say that while getting older is inevitable, ageing doesn't have to be. Even while our physical bodies may grow slower with every passing year, our mental age is up to us. Scientific researchers and spiritual gurus like Deepak Chopra feel that our bodies don't have to age as we expect them to.

YOUNG AT HEART

MANY OF us feel younger than we actually are. This perception can actually impact our physical bodies too. "If you accept the attitude that you are only as young as you feel, you will act younger, feel younger, and therefore look younger. Your attitude will be upbeat and modern as you stay abreast of current trends, adapt to changes in technology, and keep up with the "younger" generation. Your thoughts can keep you young," feels Dr Rachna Singh, psychologist, Artemis Hospital. Some psychologists are of the opinion that there is a 'golden age' that people tend to get stuck at as they perceived this to be the best time of their lives.

Older people tend to feel about 13 years younger than their chronological age, a new study published in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Science finds. The seniors in the study, all 70 and over, also thought they looked about 10 years younger than their numerical age, with women perceiving their appearances to be closer to their actual age than men. "People generally felt younger than they actually were, and they also showed relatively high levels of satisfaction with aging over the time period studied," said researcher Jacqui Smith, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research. The researchers believe that feeling about 13 years younger is an optimal illusion in old age and helps the elderly stay happy and active. Adapting to new terminology can also keep us younger longer. This involves giving up archaic phrases from our youth, and interacting with the younger generation. "Emotionally stay young at heart by releasing rigidity, going with the flow, and following your passions. Youthfulness is about being adaptable, learning new ways of doing things, and being open to change," says Dr Singh. Recently, Japanese scientists have found a way to prevent age related deterioration in the hearts of mice by tweaking a cer- tain gene responsible. The gene that is involved in the insulin- signaling system which helps regulate the lifespan of cells in the heart was suppressed, resulting in better cardiac function and other biological markers of ageing. The scientists believe that this could help control degeneration of the heart in humans and keep it healthy for a longer time. " To stay youthful, you need a strong blood circulation and to prevent nerve degeneration too, so just keeping the heart healthy is not enough to stay young, but it is definitely a good thing," says Dr Rakesh Gupta, senior consultant internal medicine, Apollo Hospital.

BODY AGES QUICKER

AMITABH BACHCHAN'S role as a young man in an old body in the forthcoming film Paa has drawn attention to progeria, an extremely rare fatal genetic condition. Those with this problem have minds that remain at their calendar age while their bodies age as fast as 6 times the normal speed. Cellular instability appears to lead to this premature ageing.

Although they are born looking healthy, children with Progeria begin to display many characteristics of accelerated ageing at around 18- 24 months of age.

Signs and symptoms appear when a child is 6 or 7; these include failure to grow, loss of body fat and hair, aged- looking skin, stiffness of joints, hip dislocation, generalised atherosclerosis, cardiovascular ( heart) disease and stroke. Certain disorders of the brain also hamper intellectual functioning.

Autism, neurological disorders and learning disabilities in children suppress the mental age of an individual while the body keeps growing. There are no specific causes for these disorders which may be genetic; may result from brain damage or high fever, or health conditions like a stroke. Complications during pregnancy can also hamper brain development and lead to stunted mental growth.

" Mental age shouldn't be confused with IQ levels," says Dr Surbhee Soni, senior consultant psychiatrist, Fortis La Femme. The IQ of a child whose mental age is stunted because of a disorder may fall in the normal range; his capacity to spell, comprehend and calculate is affected though. Parents should keenly observe their children especially during formative years to pick up symptoms of hampered mental growth – problems in communication, speech problems, lack of intonation, and difficulties in understanding tone of voice and a lack of social skills are all symptoms to watch out for. Psychological disorders also might be responsible for a lower mental age. Staying in a young frame of mind may benefit us health wise, but problems may arise if a person behaves as though he is younger than his calendar age on a daily basis. " We all like to let our hair down at certain times and act like teens when we are actually near forty, but if this is the case regularly, then it might be an indication of a personality disorder," says Dr Soni.

YOU CAN STALL AGEING

THE GOOD news is that you can delay ageing by staying healthy. Ageing has little to do with genetics or years on the big blue ball and much to do with exercise, diet, lifestyle, choices, behaviours, habits and beliefs. Some people maximise their time, genetics and potential optimally, while others throw it all down the drain and then hope that the doctor will " fix them" as they age. Eating fresh, wholesome foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins is a fairly common recipe among most nutritional experts. Avoiding excesses of alcohol, smoking, sugar and caffeine are recommendations for staying young and healthy. Regular exercisewhether it's engaging in a sport, going to gym, or a daily walk — keeps our bodies supple and energetic. " Without some kind of regular activity, the muscles will waste, lung capacity will decrease, heart will get weaker, and bones will become more brittle," says Dr Gupta. Flexibility and mobility will decrease, reaction time will slow, and our responses will suffer, making us more susceptible to illness, injury and disease. Keeping the body healthy is a sure way to stay fit and young both mentally as well as physically rituparna.

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