If the desire is to live long, read books

At a time when book reading is elbowed out of life of the young generation everywhere by television, computer and smart phones, the fast fading habit has received an unexpected compliment from health scientists. On analysis of data of 3,635 of men and women, researchers at the Yale University School of Public Health have come to the conclusion that reading books increases longevity. The increase in longevity is quite significant in case of respondents spending more than three and a half hours on books. On an average book reading for such duration can enhance life span by as much as two years -23 moths to be precise.
Readers and non-readers have different mental make-ups. Those who read books have the cognitive advantage over people who do not read at all. The researchers found that the majority of participants tended to be college educated, female and had higher incomes. So the scientists took pains to control for those factors as well as race, age, depression, enjoyment, self-reported health and material status. A 12-year of follow-up found that those among respondents above 50 reading books for up to three and a half hours a week were 17 per cent less likely to die. Even half hours' daily book reading gives survival advantage over people who do not read at all. Reading newspapers and periodicals too has some benefit on this count but it is not significant enough.       
The new-found link between book reading and longer life is quite different from the recipe advanced by experts and yoga gurus. Recommended foods, discipline, exercise, yoga or meditation have ever remained the key to living a longer life. Now how does book reading contributes to added survival advantage? Apart from the enhancement of cognitive power and its application for making comparison with the real world, no other advantage of book reading was cited in the study.
However it seems that the emotional satisfaction derived or empathy developed through book reading may have effects similar to that of contemplation. Deep concentration and getting involved with the events that take place in the world of imagination elevate readers to a higher plane. This is what exactly provides for their contentment with life. And a contented life is worth living.
Although no distinction was made between the types of books read by the respondents, it transpires that the majority's favourite was fiction. Sure enough, fiction has the advantage of appealing to readers' emotion. But non-fiction serious books on a wide range of subjects require greater attention because of their special characteristics. Cognitive faculties are likely to be stimulated even more for readers of such books. Whether such stimuli will have a more positive impact on lengthening longevity has not been dealt with in the study.
Sure enough, there is far greater scope to get into this subject in order to take a measure of benefit from book reading. For now, though, it has opened up a completely new vista for book lovers. They will feel encouraged to spend time on book reading. The challenge, however, will be to get the face book addicts, crazy computer gamers and selfie maniacs back to books. Aggressive promotion of smart phones with ever more attractive features is drawing young people to senseless preoccupation with such devices.