What Is The Actual Cost Of Stress?

[Don Birnam]

Hypothetically, how "bad" is it to live a stressful lifestyle? For instance, let's say you are a businessman in a high-stress/long hours kind of position for five years. How much shorter will your life be? I think that businessmen and surgeons and other high stress workers almost never live to be 100. Comments?

People everywhere are trying to attain health, general wellbeing and happiness, but I notice that almost no attention is paid to longevity. It seems to me that if certain careers or other lifestyle choices are putting me in an early grave by 20 years, shouldn't I care? A lot? But what can one do?

[ddegroff]

WORK OUT!! EAT HEALTHY!!! Thats all i would think one would need to do for longevity. My dad doesnt work out but he eats healthy as hell. He goes to a health fair every year where they test everything. They have told him that he his body is like 7 yrs younger. Hes a VP of a major Ski area so he has a very stressful job.

Thats got to be the formula, eating healthy and working out. Thats what i think but im still young so who knows.

[AstronautJones]

I agree, my guess would be that when you get to be "of age" (maybe 40+?), regular checkups would be essential to good health.

On a side note, I'm dying to know if you ever got into the Guinness book of world records for that "thing" you were doing? Also, what exactly was that "thing" that you were doing to get in in the first place?

[razorcut]

It seems to me that if certain careers or other lifestyle choices are putting me in an early grave by 20 years, shouldn't I care? A lot? But what can one do?IMO, longevity is a combination of genes and lifestyle choices. Some people with very stressful jobs still live a very lengthy and healthy life. Conversely, some people with extremely low stress jobs drop dead in their early 40s.

Look at Bush senior. I'm pretty sure he's in his eighties now and still going strong. I hope I'm doing that well at his age.

[Don Birnam]

I agree, my guess would be that when you get to be "of age" (maybe 40+?), regular checkups would be essential to good health.

On a side note, I'm dying to know if you ever got into the Guinness book of world records for that "thing" you were doing? Also, what exactly was that "thing" that you were doing to get in in the first place?


Haha nice call! I can't believe someone remembered that. Yeah that never quite got off the ground. Basically I was going to break the world record for consecutive hours playing poker. Some guy set the record last year at Foxwoods Casino by playing 7 card stud for 72 straight hours. I thought (and still do think) I could top it but basically it is very difficult to find an 80 hour block of time to do this. Setting this record means basically taking 6 or 7 days out of my life when you factor in recuperation... Well now I let the cat out of the bag, if people want to break it then go for it I guess! Haha...