The Irish Gen Z cohort may think life’s most exciting years are already behind you by 49, but the Irish aged 45+ overwhelmingly say the opposite. According to large new polling from Benecol®.
Almost six in ten (59.3%) 18–25 year old respondents said that, by 49, someone’s most exciting years are mostly behind them, while 55.1% at this age believe most people should already have completed the big things in their life by age 49.
Four in ten (40.2%) of Gen Z also said that when they picture someone aged 49, the image of the person they imagine is “starting to look old and slow down”, rather than someone still young, fit and up for it.
Irish adults aged 45+ tell a dramatically different story.
An overwhelming 94.7% believe some of the best years of their lives are still ahead, while 93.3% reject the idea that approaching or passing 50 means it is time to start slowing down.
The findings form part of Benecol®’s new LIVE MORE brand direction, which challenges outdated ideas around getting older and encourages people approaching 50 and beyond to focus not on slowing down, but on everything they still want to do.
WHAT DOES 49 LOOK LIKE TO IRISH GEN Z?
The younger respondents’ view of 49 was not entirely negative, but it revealed a striking contradiction.
While 59.3% believe someone’s most exciting years are mostly behind them by 49 and 55.1% think the major things in life should already have been completed by then, a huge 92.1% still believe people aged 49 are experiencing new adventures.
The result suggests younger adults do not necessarily see adventure ending at 49, but many still underestimate just how much ambition, excitement and possibility people at this stage of life feel lies ahead of them.
45+ ADULTS SAY: THE BEST IS STILL TO COME
Among Irish adults aged 45+, the results were emphatic. Almost all (94.1%) say they generally feel younger than their actual age, while 91.2% say they are more confident now than they were at 25.
More than nine in ten (93.9%) say they care less now about what other people think of them than they did in their twenties, while 91.6% say they are now more likely than in their 20s and 30s to simply go for something they really want.
And the appetite for what comes next is huge. 95.5% want to try more new things over the next decade, while 93.8% say there are still major experiences in life that they are determined to have.
Perhaps most strikingly, 68.4% say there is at least one major ambition or experience they have already been putting off for five years or more.
And when asked whether this stage of life feels more like a time to “live more” or a time to wind down, 96.5% chose LIVE MORE.
GLENDA GILSON: “I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE I’M ONLY GETTING GOING”
Benecol® ambassador and renowned Irish broadcaster Glenda Gilson, 45, said the findings strongly reflect how she feels as she enters this next stage of life, with husband Rob having just turned 50.
“I honestly feel like I’m only getting going. There is still so much I want to do, so many places I want to see and so many experiences I haven’t had yet. I definitely don’t look at the next few years and think, ‘right, time to start slowing down’. If anything, I want to speed up.”
“There are trips I still want to take, skills I want to master, places I want to go with my family and probably plenty of things I haven’t even thought of yet. I think that’s what’s exciting about this stage of life… you know yourself better, you’re more confident in what you want, and you’re much more inclined to just go for it.”
“At 45, I certainly don’t feel like the best bits are behind me. I genuinely feel like the most exciting chapter is 100% still ahead, and I want to squeeze as much out of it as I possibly can. There is still so much I'm dying to do and Rob and I are nowhere near slowing down! Despite what Irish Gen Z may think!"
'One particular thing I am dying to do is a skydive. I've wanted to do it for years and have put it off due to fear! I'm determined to do it before the end of the year".
Glenda, who found out last year that she has elevated cholesterol, said looking after the things she can control helps her focus on everything she still wants to do.
“Finding out I had elevated cholesterol did give me a fright. Benecol has unique plant stanols which are proven to lower cholesterol. It’s one really simple daily habit for me now. That’s one less thing to think about and that helps me get on with the fun stuff in life.”
“Rob and I enjoy our Benecol products daily. I’m a fiend for the new Greek yoghurt with berries in the morning and Rob prefers the strawberry yoghurt drink before he leaves for work. It’s one super easy daily habit that is now second nature to us, and it just means we get to worry less. We’re at a stage in our life now that we want to live more and worry less.”
BRENDAN COURTNEY: “I’M IN MY MID-50s AND I’M STILL STARTING NEW CHAPTERS”
Fellow Benecol® fan and iconic Irish media presenter Brendan Courtney, 55, said:
“I think the idea that your most exciting years are behind you by 49 is hilarious. I’m in my mid 50s and I’m still starting new chapters, still creating things, still taking on work that scares me a bit and still thinking about what I want to do next.”
“One of the best things about getting older is that you know yourself better and you care far less about what everyone else thinks. You become much clearer about what matters to you, and I think that actually gives you more freedom to go for things, not less.”
“I’ve just made one of the biggest changes of my life at 55, moving from the city to the country, and I think that says everything about how I feel about this stage of life. Moving from the city to the country at 55 is a pretty big reminder that you’re never too old to completely change things up. I’m still starting new chapters, not closing them. I absolutely do not feel like I’m winding down. If anything, there is still an enormous amount I want to do.”
LIVE MORE
The research coincides with the launch of a major new global identity for Benecol®, marking an evolution in how the brand talks about cholesterol, health and everyday life.
At the heart of the new direction is the message LIVE MORE, as part of the wider Life Flows Better with Benecol® brand platform. This reflects the brand’s broader shift towards empowerment, everyday confidence and helping people continue doing more of what they love.
Brendan said:
“That’s what LIVE MORE means to me. Looking after your health should help you get on with your life, not make your life smaller or become the thing you spend all your time worrying about.”
“At this stage of life, I think you get much better at working out what deserves your energy and what doesn’t. You do the sensible things you can, you build them into your routine, and then you get back to the people, work, travel and experiences you actually care about.”
“For me, that is where Benecol fits in. Benecol products contain plant stanol ester, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. It is about making cholesterol care one straightforward part of everyday life, so you can get on with living it.”
