Raise your spirits to attain good health

New York, Nov 8 (IANS) Don't lose hope so early due to excessive academic pressures as a new study has found that people who act optimistic and remain happy in all circumstances enjoy good health.

The research majorly focused on college students and stated that those who suffer high rates of anxiety and depression because of exam pressures, often tend to neglect their physical health care and exercises.

As a result, students develop low blood pressure problems that further makes their body weight lower and increases the risk of depression and anxiety.

"They have structured, organized physical educations classes," said Weiyun Chen, Associate Professor at the University of Michigan.

"It's not just fitness, it is a variety of things so you can meet different people's needs. They realized that emphasizing only academics isn't good for overall health, and that they needed to emphasize the wellness part," he added.

The researchers rated 925 students on four indicators of psychological well-being: hope, gratitude, life satisfaction and subjective happiness. To assess the physical and mental health, the researchers asked the students various questions related to their sleep quality and how often do they feel healthy, energized, worthless, fidgety, anxious or depressed.

The results showed that the students possessing a positive outlook regarding their career had a normal body weight that further contributed to good health.

The study, published in the Biomedical Journal of Scientific and Technical Research found that the four psychological variables and the body weight accounted for 41 per cent of the total variance in health. Individually, subjective happiness had the most significant impact, followed by hope, and then the body weight.

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