Re: Do Asian Americans live longer?

James wrote:
I'm 34 but 9 out of 10 people could never guess that just by looking at
me. Once I start talking, I guess I sound like such a square or
something they think I must be older than I look. I've been mistaken
for as young as 22, and being Asian myself I seem able to accurately
guage another Asian's age by a kind of "compensation" which I don't
apply to folks of other races.
I wonder if being much less hairy than other races contributes to the
impression of youth...surely the skin quality is just different when
your body's not trying to grow hair and peach fuzz? (Blacks have that
problem especially; black women are more susceptible to acne or
something because their skin tends to want to grow little soft wispy
hairs.) I think our facial features also give that impression –– we
don't have the "overhanging brows" which can make one seem like Old Man
Winter or Father Time or something like that. A flatter face probably
also suggests youth –– babies aren't known for their protruding facial
features, after all!

James wrote:
I'm 34 but 9 out of 10 people could never guess that just by looking at
me. Once I start talking, I guess I sound like such a square or
something they think I must be older than I look. I've been mistaken
for as young as 22, and being Asian myself I seem able to accurately
guage another Asian's age by a kind of "compensation" which I don't
apply to folks of other races.
I wonder if being much less hairy than other races contributes to the
impression of youth...surely the skin quality is just different when
your body's not trying to grow hair and peach fuzz? (Blacks have that
problem especially; black women are more susceptible to acne or
something because their skin tends to want to grow little soft wispy
hairs.) I think our facial features also give that impression –– we
don't have the "overhanging brows" which can make one seem like Old Man
Winter or Father Time or something like that. A flatter face probably
also suggests youth –– babies aren't known for their protruding facial
features, after all!

"NYC XYZ" <jack_foreig...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1142865984.528232.240...@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
Heh, I've seen Irish women aged 24 that I swear looked older than me when I
was in my 40s. Everyone else thought they were too. When I was 42 I was
being proofed for age in clubs (21 was the age) – these women were not being
proofed. Now that I'm 55, I'm proofed for senior citizen – people
universally think I'm in my 30s. I'm Tatar. Yup, never heard of shaving
legs (somehow, that makes me feel sick, like it's disgusting...) or any of
that. Scanty eyebrows too. I use make up when I go out to make MORE
eyebrow, LOL. My father, in his 90s was strong as a bull still, had a full
head of hair – died of the damned flu – basically cause he felt too hot and
went outside in 5 degree F weather to shovel snow. The black women I
generally see, very dark ones, look a lot younger than they are – and they
don't have acne or much hair at all on their bodies, including their arms
and legs. I think the whites are the hairy ones.
It is also possible, for European Americans, that we are getting a really
false impression because they have a thing about lying about their age.
That is, we hear someone is in her 40s, or she's 39 – but really, she's in
her late 50s. That could contribute to the idea that they ALL seem to look
old for their age. But I have personally seen white women in their 30s that
looked older than me and everyhone else thought they were too, it wasn't
just my eyesight.

James wrote:
Whites grow physically old after mid 30's. Specially the women who
ages before your eyes. Cute women who makes your heart race soon looks
old enough to be your mothers. Old Asians look much younger than
whites of the same age.
How old are the oldest people you know and what race are they?
I don't remember seeing an Asian on the 100 and older birthday wishes
by TV's weatherman but I'm not a regular viewer.
Seems like two issues: how long people live, and how old they look at a given
age.
I'm consistently taken for somebody younger. When I tell people how old I am
the reaction is generally amazement/disbelief that goes beyond the usual polite
"Gee, you don't look that old." But I'm pretty much hairless; not very
macho–looking; and, after a childhood of obesity, have spent most of the rest of
my life preoccupied with trying to keep my weight down and stay in some kind of
shape.
OTOH, I'm pretty sure that inside of my body the opposite is true and I'm
somewhat older than my chronological age – based on my own perceived
flexibility, endurance, mental acuity and so–forth.
I think there have been studies comparing Japanese people with isei, nisei,
sansei, and maybe even shisei in the USA – and also certain subpopulations of
Italy with first, second, and third–generation immigrants to the USA.
My recollection is that people in the Old Country tended to live longer to the
extent that immigrants and their descendents adopted an "American" diet
(whatever that is....). I'm sure there are other factors, but diet is the one
that the studies I read about focused on.
Personally, I suspect that Asians (except people from India) have an edge in
longevity and general well–being just because so few of them are over–sized.
It's got to be something of a physiological hit to be dragging around an extra
75–100 so pounds all of one's life – not to mention the additional mechanical
stresses of longer limbs and more weight on joints. Same heart, same liver,
same kidneys, same cartilage – more weight. Terriers live longer than St
Bernards... period. I'm about 6'5" and I'd swap places with Jackie Chan in a
heartbeat – even if he were five years older and didn't have a dime to his name.
––
PeteCresswell