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Retire, Feel 8 Years Younger

Freedom melts away maladies—if you're French

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 9, 2009 3:28 PM CST

(Newser) – Retirement is great medicine, new research shows. A study of French workers for 7 years before and after they punched the time clock for the last time indicates health increases dramatically after retirement. Reports of poor health drop from 19.2% in the year before retirement to 14.3% the year after—that’s the same level as 8 years before, leading researchers to conclude retirees feel 8 years younger.

“Work puts an extra burden on the health of older workers,” a study author tells HealthDay News, and “the effects of this extra burden are largely relieved by retirement.” Bully for Europe, but can we expect the same effects in the US? “As I understand it,” the researcher continues, “a substantial number of Americans have to take up a new, and often less-qualified and more stressful job, after formal retirement to make ends meet.” So no.

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What a load off! (Shutterstock)

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This indicates that there is a need to provide opportunities for older workers to decrease the demands in their work out of concern for their health and well-being. - Hugo Westerlund, Stockholm University

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 5 comments

Netstorm2k10

Nov 10, 2009 4:30 AM CST

How many times do we hear about somebody retiring and then dying from the stress of being unneeded a week later? We must be doing it wrong. Work to live, or live to work, America?

cornelison

Nov 10, 2009 3:22 AM CST

Retirement can be one of the best times of a person's life. The reduction in stress alone is a huge life-saving factor. Having said that, I feel bad for those who cannot afford to retire or those who lost their pensions.

Derni

Nov 10, 2009 3:10 AM CST

If you're a GOP member in tehtop 5-10 % of income ranks you can retire and maybe feel good-

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Retire, Feel 8 Years Younger