It can hardly be surprising that optimism has been identified as the, or at least an, elixir of life. After all, a sense of possibility makes things possible. The convex is also true — pessimism, a sense of fatality, probably pre-ordains poor outcomes in most ventures.

A GENETIC test could soon be available that will reveal if someone can expect to live to 100.

Children with strict mothers are much more likely to get fat, according to new US research.