On Friday, Newser (an online news source) posted the following summary of an April 7 BBC News report, based on a recent epidemiology study. I think the title says it all :). My Dad (yes, Dad, the flea market shopper) is going to LOVE this.
Copied from Newser:
Want to Live Longer? Go Shopping
Retail Therapy Boosts Interactions, Exercise, and Healthy Diet(NEWSER) – Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as retail therapy. We all knew about the mental health benefits of a good buy, but now researchers have discovered that shopping might actually extend one’s lifespan. Men and women who shop daily live longer than those who shopped less frequently, found a study of people over the age of 65 in Taiwan. Researchers speculate that shopping likely improves exercise, social interactions, and diet, which could all contribute to a longer life, reports the BBC.
“Shopping is often for pleasure with the potential to increase psychological well being,” the researchers conclude in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. “Compared to other types of leisure-time physical activity, like formal exercise, which usually requires motivation and sometimes professional instruction, shopping activity is easier to undertake and maintain.”
