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At 100 years old, Dick Van Dyke is a prime example of healthy aging. He himself attributes his longevity to unwavering optimism. Science proves him right.
Dick Van Dyke, film icon from classics such as “Mary Poppins” and “Tschitti Chitti Bang Bang”, turned 100 last December. He attributes his perseverance to a basic attitude: he stays positive and doesn’t get angry.
“I’ve always thought that anger is something that eats a person up inside – and hate. And I’ve never really been able to feel hate,” he said in an interview with US tabloid magazine shortly before his birthday.People“He sees this as one of the main reasons that gave him such a long life.
Science proves Dick Van Dyke right
Longevity, also known as longevity, also depends on genes and your own lifestyle. But Van Dyke’s assessment has a scientific basis, reports psychologist Jolanta Burke on the British news portal “The Conversation“.
The professor from Ireland points to several studies that link optimism and lower stress with a longer life. In the 1930s, for example, young Catholic nuns in the USA were required to write an autobiography before entering a monastery. Six decades later evaluated researchers 180 of the texts and compared them with the health data. Women who are more in their texts positive feelings and experiences expressed, lived on average around ten years longer than those with a more negative attitude.
Optimists live longer on average
A British one Investigation from 2019 found that optimistic people live, on average, eleven to 15 percent longer than pessimistic people. The researchers observed these connections in around 70,000 women and 1,500 men. They showed themselves to be independent
- socioeconomic status
- health
- Depression
- social integration
- and health behavior, such as smoking, diet and alcohol consumption
The pattern can be observed again and again: One study from 2022 with around 160,000 women of different origins showed that optimists were far more likely to reach the age of 90.
Last published researchers from Turkey in March 2026 a survey of 148 “Super-agers” who were 95 years old or older (the oldest person was 109 years old). The team concludes: “Psychological resilience, i.e. optimism, and lifelong physical activity, appear to protect cognitive functions, independence and sleep quality in very old people.” Depression and lack of exercise, on the other hand, are associated with frailty.
Movement keeps you young
Overall, a positive attitude towards life also has a holistically healthy effect. “Optimists appear to be more inclined to adopt healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise or a healthy diet, which can further promote health and longevity,” Burke writes in “The Conversation.”
This also applies to Van Dyke: Even in his old age, he still goes to the gym three times a week for circuit training. He reported this at the end of 2025 in an interview with the “New York Times“. In between, he does yoga and stretching exercises. “The doctors can’t believe it when I touch my toes,” he said.
Tips from the psychologist
For psychologist Jolanta Burke, one thing is clear: If you want to improve your chances of a long life, you should work on how you deal with anger. However, she does not recommend popular strategies such as hitting a punching bag or “running empty”. Such actions kept the body on alert and prolonged the stress response. On the other hand, calm techniques such as
- slow breathing,
- counting meditations,
- yoga
- or other forms of relaxation.
It could also help to specifically promote positive feelings in everyday life. Activities without a purpose, just for pleasure, would increase well-being.
Anger hits the heart
According to Burke, the most important thing is how you deal with anger. “People who have a more positive or optimistic outlook on life seem to be better able to manage or control their anger,” writes the psychologist at “The Conversation.” This is important because anger can have a number of “significant effects” on the body.
Anger triggers the release of two stress hormones, especially in men:
- heart disease,
- Strokes
- and type 2 diabetes
Van Dyke’s statement that he doesn’t get angry could therefore be “one of the reasons for his longevity,” writes Burke.
Stress causes cells to age faster
The psychologist also explains Van Dyke’s longevity with a cellular process. Stress accelerates the wear and tear of the telomeres, in simple terms the protective caps at the ends of the chromosomes that carry the genetic information (DNA).
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“In young, healthy cells, telomeres remain long and stable,” writes Burke. If the protective caps are too short, the cells age faster. As you get older, this process is completely normal – but stress would accelerate it. A big one Review paperwhich analyzed 22 studies on this topic, confirms the assumption. However, according to the researchers, the effect is rather small.
