For 100 years, people said middle age was about 50 years old. This is when we grow 'old'. However, new research says this should change. A study from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIAS) in Austria says middle age now starts at 60, 65, or older. The biggest reason is that we are living longer. We are also healthier, we eat better, we exercise more and we have nicer lifestyles. The IIAS said: "Life expectancies have increased over the past several decades.…People once considered 'old' should actually be viewed as more middle aged."

The study was not a worldwide one. The researchers looked at people in 39 European countries. Britain's National Health Service (NHS) warned against thinking this study is 100 per cent true. It said the researchers did not look at things that could reduce life expectancy and make us die younger. It said we don't know if researchers looked at the possible impact of diseases and infections. Another problem might be antibiotic resistance, or the increased number of people with diabetes because of obesity. The NHS said healthy eating and exercise was the way to live longer.