I bit. I've been tempted to find out my "real age" by answering a series of questions on Real Age. My adventure was interesting. Especially since it rated me 5.3 years older than my real age. But the testing has flaws that affect the overall outcome, too.
My answers were given as accurately as possible. But their interpretation of these answers resulted in un-necessary years added on. For instance, it asked if I took a daily vitamin. I do. In fact, several of them. It then asks for the mg of each that I am to get off the bottle. Because I didn't fill these blanks in and chose instead to pick "I don't know" most of the advice to fix my "weak" areas were geared around a lack of taking vitamins. C'mon. Just because I didn't retrieve the bottles and copy the mg's from the bottles it assumed I didn't have a balanced intake.
It also aged me because I do a 5-day workout regimen that consists of strength, endurance, cardio, and felxability. (I do Pilates, walk/run, ride bikes and lift light weights) It said that I need to see a doctor because I am training as an athlete and that is not advisable. So I got points added to my age because I work out and take care of myself?? Something is definately wrong with their system.
I do have certain health risk factors in my family and that aged me, too. But considering I do not eat meat more than once a week, I eat mostly fruits, veggies and grains, I workout and attend a church-all factors in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it overlooked this information that I entered in their questionaire and raised my age because I have a higher risk for certain diseases. I am not guaranteed to inherate these diseases-only have a higher risk of acquiring them. It is how I manage my life over all that determines if I will actually get the diseases. To age me automatically based on my higher risk instead of the way I maintain my health is unfair and not accurate.
I was aged based on the fact that I don't eat breakfast every morning,too. The choices were eatting breakfast once a week, 2-5 times a week or 7 times a week. I chose 2-5 times because my average is closer to 4 or 5. There is a wide span between 2 and 5 days a week. I hardly think not eatting 2-3 breakfasts a week is hurting me. Those that fast for religious purposes have a better over all health factor than those that don't. If I fast breakfast once or twice a week, I am to ignore the religious and physical benefits from it because this website says it is aging me? I think not.
So I am actually in my mid 40's according to realage.com instead of 40. I'm not buying it. I feel better today than I have ever felt in my life. My blood pressure hovers around 107/75, and my cholesterol is around 150. Perhapes there are those that benefit from doing this questionaire. It missed the target with me. It is not fail proof....which is what you should keep in mind if you decide to bite like I did and take the questionaire.
Meanwhile, I'm back to eatting my rye toast with honey and sipping coffee. I feel G*R*E*A*T!!
