It may come as old news to many women, but it seems a bit of retail therapy really is good for you.( y' h& u' O1 O( J# M7 L9 E6 j
A day at the shops can help you live longer, says a study.3 N# A; X* a# L4 [% U& ^1 k
And surprisingly, the benefits are actually greater for men., H( G5 U8 H r
The study even suggests the long-term survival benefits of shopping are better than going to the gym.: F* L5 M+ J7 l, G5 [
Seeing friends and just people-watching can stave off loneliness and improve psychological health, suggests research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
0 P$ X5 \6 L K' b Z It looked at almost 1,850 people aged 65 and over living independently at home in Taiwan, who were asked how often they went shopping.
" o0 j' g( U8 @& t! p9 Y0 g The researchers then tracked how long each of the participants lived by linking individuals to national death registration data between 1999 and 2008.
1 ^* P. h; I) e3 u They found those who shopped daily lived longer than those who shopped less frequently, even after taking account of people’s physical or other health problems.8 N$ x) G$ f* ~# S: G s' D
Going to the shops every day cut the chances of a participant dying during the period of the study by more than a quarter compared with those who don’t shop regularly.+ }: ^! |4 }6 [( m3 k
Older men who frequently popped out to the shops had the best survival record, with a reduction of 28 per cent in their chances of dying, while older women saw slightly less benefit with a 23 per cent cut in dying.考试用书
0 T6 |; W5 x, a+ q z9 h( [ Researchers led by Dr Yu-Hung Chang at the National Health Research Institutes, in Zhunan, Taiwan, accept that those who shopped regularly may have been in better health to begin with.
5 ]: L- k2 _3 K V They said: 'An elder who shops less for food would be at risk of poorer diet quality necessary to maintain health. A vicious cycle that involves limited shopping and poor diet could evolve for elders.'$ X! y2 s' d8 U+ \" x
But the study added: ‘In shopping venues, socialising with, or watching others can provide social and mental benefits.! e+ y% f4 I$ z# c
‘Compared with other types of leisure-time physical activity, like formal exercise, which usually requires motivation and sometimes professional instruction, shopping is easier to undertake and maintain.’ |