To live longer, cut fats, exercise and oh, win a Nobel Prize

Results of a study by the University of Warwick says winning a Nobel Prize adds nearly 2 years to your life. The researchers carried out their study in order to try to answer a long-standing question for economists and medical researchers as to whether social status alone can affect people’s well-being and lifespan. “Status seems to work a kind of health-giving magic. Once we do the statistical corrections, walking across that platform in Stockholm apparently adds about 2 years to a scientist’s life-span. How status does this, we just don’t know,” said one of the researchers. The researchers also looked at the Nobel Prize fund – the value of which has changed over time. They found that the amount of actual prize money won by Nobel Prize winners had no effect on their longevity – suggesting that it is the sheer status boost of the award that is important in extending lifespan.