Happiness is not determined by childhood biomarkers

Happiness is not determined by childhood biological markers such as height or body fat, according to a team of European researchers involving UCL. The paper, published in PLoS ONE analysed longitudinal data from nearly 2000 young Finns over a period of 20 years. For the first time, researchers obtained measurements for biomarkers in childhood together with measures of happiness in adulthood. "This is the first study to examine the childhood antecedents of happiness in adulthood and we found no significant associations. While other studies have shown that childhood biomarkers are predictive of other adult outcomes including earnings and employment, the same biomarkers appear to have no relation with adult happiness," said Professor Alex Bryson (UCL Institute of Education) Researchers from the UK and Finland found no associations between eight childhood biomarkers (triglycerides, body fat, height, pulse, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, insulin, and creatinine) and adult happiness after taking, age, sex, body size, family background, nutritional intake, physical activity, income and education into account. "Intuitively, we know what we like - being with friends, going to the cinema. And in the moment, we know what's likely to make us happy. Evidence from app-devices that ask people at random moments mostly confirm that sex and intimacy comes top and work and being sick in bed come bottom.