Eat less, live longer

CUTTING calories helps to lose kilos but investigators found that it also halted ageing in those not overweight.

Researchers worked with 220 volunteers living in New Zealand aged between 26 and 45, one third of whom reduced their calories by 25 per cent for two years. The remaining two­thirds ate normally.

OWNING a domestic animal brings health benefits. Scientific studies have shown that interaction with a pet can have a powerful impact on mental, physical and social health. Pets are recognised as helping to buffer stress and address social isolation. Medical research also

Cutting calories by a third also cuts ageing.

Testing for higher blood pressure and cholesterol was matched with genetic activity

Get a pet

demonstrates that pet owners generally have lower blood pressure. Dog­owners in particular were more likely to achieve recommended levels of daily exercise and less likely to be obese.

Wet hair warning

ANYBODY who has ever been tempted to go to bed with wet hair should think twice. It will do more than leave you with damp pillows, a top haircare expert warned. Hair is at its most fragile when it is wet, she explained and the friction between wet hair and the pillow will cause serious breakage and frizz.

within the body to gauge the degree of ageing that was present in the final blood test.

Investigators found that those on fewer calories appeared to age up to three percent more slowly.

“This study is very exciting,” said Dr Daniel Belsky, who led the study. “Slowing down biological aging means living longer and getting ill later.”

Stay seated

THERE are still February days when it is more inviting to remain indoors than venture outside. But that’s no reason not to enjoy simple chair exercises that will ensure muscles and bones remain strong, reduce pain resulting from arthritis and assist in controlling blood pressure.

Begin with ankle rolls, before continuing with seated marching accompanied by some vigorous arm­swinging. Finish by stretching the chest muscles five or six times.

Norajohnson Breakingviews

COST-OF-LIVING crisis, fuel poverty, soaring inflation. Can things get any worse? Yes! Because step forward the sophisticated chatbot, ChatGPT, that can write essays, stories and even makes a pretty good stab at newspaper columns. But it’s not perfect, our jobs are safe for now.

But let’s get something clear straightaway. I write this column and all my psychological crime novels. Me! The one with my photo above. Not Metal Mickey Mouse. Just see him handle all the psychological curve balls and plot twists of crime writing!

Readers tell me I have a good sense of humour (I regularly get great comments about it to my website!). So I asked ChatGPT to write jokes, but not one was funny. They had the form, but not the content of a joke. It’s like any other technology: a tool with certain uses we humans can put it to, and many things it can’t do.

Nonetheless, it’s the chatbot that helped Jeremy Hunt write his speech on the economy and helps millions of others with homework, computer code, essays, poems and business presentations.

While it has been banned from universi­