Oscar winners live longer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Actors and actresses who win an Oscar live four years longer, on average, than nominees who do not win.
It is Oscar season again and, if you're a film fan, you'll be following proceedings with interest. But did you know there is a health benefit to winning an Oscar? Doctors at Harvard Medical School say that a study of actors and actresses shows that winners live, on average, for four years more than losers. And winning directors live longer than non-winners.

These findings add to other evidence on social status, health and longevity. Winners get more status, more work, and more appreciation - all of which improves their self-esteem. However, Oscar winning screenwriters do not live longer than non-winners. In fact, their life exectancy is an average of 3.6 years less than that of nominees. Maybe it's because writers are not in the public eye - they do not have to work on their image in the same way as actors and directors. The latter may watch their diet, keep fit and do all they can to look good. This, of course, can only benefit their health.

Source
Harvard Health Letter March 2006

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