Who do you trust when it comes to surveys and research about older Australians?

I don’t know about you but when it comes to surveys and research about us ‘older’ people I often take them with a pinch of salt, even if GPs don’t recommend it.

Perhaps the findings are too numerous, general and contradictory such as if a glass or two of red wine is really good for you. (The jury still seems to be out)

But in the past week I have spied and want to share two very different findings about our lives and health which may just prove handy.

One revolves around university research which shows that enjoying cultural and other activities in middle-age has a lasting effect on our brain power

The other perhaps more realistically suggests that we are having a lend of ourselves when it comes to assessing our actual fitness, thinness and health.

First the more positive finding. The good news is it maybe undertaking a range of leisure activities in middle-age can actually protect mental agility many years later.

While the lasting effects of pastimes like sudoku and others are still debated psychologists at the University of Edinburgh tested 500 people aged 79 for memory, thinking ability and problem solving.

They kept up the tests for another ten years and found those who went to museums, theatres or read and wrote in their 40s and 50s scored better than those who didn’t.

As we’ve discussed before in this column, physical exercise is highly relevant too.

The productive leisure activities in middle-age explained 6% of their higher memory and thinking scores at age 79 and physical activity came in at more like 12% extra.

Study leader Dr Alan Gow from  Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said: "These latest findings add to the growing evidence that being more engaged in leisure activities throughout middle age might be associated with better thinking skills in later life.”

Chuck in a bit of regular exercise along with engaging your mind in galleries and cultural pursuits and according to the boffins you maximize the chances of older age being a lot more rewarding.

But on the other hand a survey of 1000 Australians aged over 45 has found a big gap between the perception of how thin, fit and healthy we are and the reality.

This Galaxy poll commissioned by a pharmaceutical company, so perhaps not to the same exacting standards of a longitudinal university study, found 37% of respondents admitted to being overweight or obese.

But Australian Bureau of Statistics figures for the same aged group shows almost three quarters fall into these categories.

Likewise while less than a quarter admitted to having high cholesterol the ABS figures put it at more than 40%.

And while half admitted to not exercising the official figures put it at more like 71% leading a largely sedentary lifestyle.

So are the ABS figures wrong or is it the survey? Perhaps the samples don’t match and the questions asked were not exactly the same.

But the more obvious conclusion is we, not unnaturally, tend to underreport consciously or not the bad news such as cholesterol levels and exaggerate time spent doing  the good stuff such as exercise.

There are many devices such as the so-called ‘wearables’  which monitor footsteps etc which can help us be a little more honest with ourselves.

But I might be inclined to focus more on the take home message of the Scottish study which suggests doing fun things can actually have good outcomes.

One day they might even reach a consensus about that glass of red wine but until then cheers!