Average Belgian biologically six years older due to lifestyle

The body of the average Belgian employee is 6.4 years biologically older than the person’s real age, according to research carried out at the request of insurer Delta Lloyd Life. It was the first such biological age study ever conducted in the country.

Researchers took into account 26 factors linked to scientifically accepted factors linked to longer or shorter life spans. The five factors that are most influential in premature aging are smoking, eating too little fresh produce, inactivity, overconsumption of alcohol and stress.

“Smokers, for example, can add seven biological years to their real age, but can somewhat compensate by scoring well in the other categories,” Ghent University professor Lieven Annemans, who was involved in the study, told De Morgen.

Annemans emphasised that not only physical health but also psychological and socio-economic factors determine biological ages. “We know, for instance, that friends and pets have a positive impact on your psychosocial condition,” he said.

Annemans pointed out that business has a crucial impact on the biological health of their staff. “A lot of companies already offer healthy food in their cafeterias and let their staff move as much as possible, but there is still much room for improvement concerning the mental side,” said Annemans. “Employers can make their staff happier by appreciating and supporting them.”

Photo: Ingimage