Thomas Bamford
We've all been fed the same story: life peaks in your 20s, it's all downhill in from 30, and by the time you hit 40 you're basically one bad back and a sensible bedtime away from collecting your pension.
Well, science has shown up to come to slap that narrative right in the face.
A new survey has dropped a bombshell that'll have people everywhere suddenly feeling a lot better about getting older.
We hit our peak health and happiness at the age of 47. Yep, your eyes aren't deceiving you. So if you've been dreading the big 4-0, you might want to hold that thought, because according to the data, the best could still be yet to come.
The study - commissioned by dental health brand TePe, quizzed 2,000 Brits on when they reckon health and happiness truly peaks. And the results have pretty decisively pointed to the late 40s as the sweet spot.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, Miranda Pascucci, Head of Clinical Education and Dental Therapist at TePe, said it all comes down to a fundamental shift in how people approach their health as they age.
Rather than obsessing over how they look, people in their 40s start focussing on how they feel and function.
She said: "As people get older, many begin to realise that health isn't just about what's visible.
"It's about how you feel and how well your body functions."
Nearly half of all over-40s surveyed said they finally understand their bodies better in later life, and that self knowledge apparently makes a massive difference.
People are more conscious about their wellbeing, more likely to fill their fridges with decent food, and crucially, a lot less likely to be absolutely destroying themselves every weekend.
More than a quarter of the respondents admitted they drink and party far less than they did in their 20s and 30s, and it turns out.. that's good for you.
Who knew swapping bottomless brunches and 3 am kebabs for early nights and actually eating vegetables would pay off.
About 35% said they care a lot less about what other people think of them, focusing instead on their own wellbeing. Add in the fact that 26% said keeping up with the kids or grandkids keeps them active, and suddenly your late 40s sounds a lot less like a crisis and a lot more like a glow up.
Before you spend the next decade in a blissful haze waiting for your happiness peak to arrive, there's a small catch.
A separate survey of 2,000 Brits found that people are generally considered 'old' from the age of 69 - a number that's creeping up and up compared to previous studies which put it as low as 62.
Health Coach Donna Bartoli has a word of warning though: just because we're redefining what 'old' means doesn't mean we can put off looking after ourselves.
She said: "While we may be pushing the idea of 'old' further into the future, the data suggests many of us are still putting off habits that help us to age well.
"And if 69 really is the new 'old', then the time to look after our future health isn't later, it's now."