Each month of our in sight team conducts an in-depth poll of saga customers to find out what you're thinking.This month: what do you find funny
They say getting old is no laughing matter, but Saga customers are having a good go. When we asked how often you laugh out loud, 62% said they do it once or twice a day, and it didn't change much from our youngest group in their fifties to our oldest at over 100. Fewer than 10% rarely or never laugh.
It's just as well because laughter has an almost magical effect. No surprise that studies have found it lifts mood and reduces stress. It also activates the release of serotonin - the same chemical affected by the most frequently used antidepressants. 'In fact, laughter can be as effective as mild antidepressants,' says psychologist and author Dr Sandi Mann, from the University of Central Lancashire.
But what's really eye-opening is laughter's physical effects: it protects blood vessels from the effects of heart disease, boosts immunity cells, reduces inflammation, improves pain tolerance, lowers cholesterol and even reduces blood pressure readings in older people.
No wonder, then, that 62% of the record 4,000 people who took part in our online survey said they wanted to laugh more. Only 20% disagreed with the statement that they laughed less now than as a child. 'We talk about the "laughter cliff",' says Dr Mann. 'That's when laughter drops off, which happens around the age of 23. It's partly because that's when we take on responsibilities, entering the world of work and suddenly life is serious.'
However, it's clear that many are still enjoying some belly laughs. When asked who made them laugh most, the top answer across all age groups was friends (74%), followed by a partner (59%), children (46%) and grandchildren (44%). Those with grandchildren also laughed
44% laugh less than they did as a younger adult
38% laugh at least twice a day
22% laugh at someone's iokeeven when it's not funny
more often in general, we discovered. There were clear favourites when it came to the comedians you love, too: Peter Kay, Billy Connolly, Michael McIntyre and Lee Mack were mentioned, as was the late, great Victoria Wood (above). And the shows you found funniest were of a certain vintage: Last of the Summer Wine (over the page), Only Fools and Horses (below), Fawlty Towers, Dad's Army, 'Allo 'Allo and Monty Python were all favourites. More recent additions included Taskmaster, Gogglebox, Mock the Week and Have I Got News for You.
Many remarked that they didn't find much modern comedy funny - and there was disdain for aggressive and 'cringe' comedy, which gets its laughs from characters belittling others and evoking embarrassment in the viewer, such as Ricky Gervais's The Office. Only 22% said this kind of humour was funny, a finding reflected in a US study which showed one
