托福阅读:爱逛街的男士更长寿4 U9 D k. l" ~1 d6 w q3 b' B' U9 y; d
It may come as old news to many women, but it seems a bit of retail therapy really is good for you. . a8 u5 J* I, G; X2 n8 H
A day at the shops can help you live longer, says a study.6 x6 z+ e( ~: e) w" m; ]
And surprisingly, the benefits are actually greater for men.
; l+ H% I, ?5 ?( {- ~) o The study even suggests the long-term survival benefits of shopping are better than going to the gym., u7 M: ~# j! g! {
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.来自www.Examw.com
. m% B ]3 \ {7 ? 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.
% ^6 F4 `0 ~* W9 q J The researchers then tracked how long each of the participants lived by linking individuals to national death registration data between 1999 and 2008.
# e' o; Y9 ?$ L; T4 c0 l" b 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.. z8 F* f7 j) V. K
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.
) c- F6 \3 a) t6 ^" Z' S# z/ e 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.
' J0 b7 z: }) k9 X1 E 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.
8 m- I, R7 `0 s. A" z, i; s7 L+ t- q 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.'
" v( |) F6 Q9 H' h3 a. \) f But the study added:‘In shopping venues, socialising with, or watching others can provide social and mental benefits.; I2 T+ @! d, n" m. O1 k6 b1 V
‘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. |