Biological Age Explained + Lifestyle Habit Score
"Biological age" is a research idea: an estimate of how your body is aging compared with others of the same calendar age. Published models need laboratory data — for example PhenoAge (Levine et al., 2018) uses nine blood test results. A questionnaire cannot estimate your biological age, so this page gives a transparent habit score instead of a number of years.
Before you start
Method : Lifestyle habit score — a custom points score written by this site. Each answer adds or subtracts the points shown in the Methodology table below.
Validation : Unvalidated. The points have never been tested against any laboratory measurement or health outcome, and the result is not an age.
Review : not reviewed by a qualified clinician. Educational only — not a diagnosis or a medical test.
This does not estimate your biological age. Published methods need blood tests or DNA data.
Your answers stay in this browser tab; nothing is sent or stored.
Answer the questions, then press Calculate score.
How to Use This Calculator
- Answer each question.
- Press Calculate score.
- Read the breakdown to see where your points come from.
Methodology & assumptions
Your score is the sum of the points below. The weights are our own judgement, not taken from any model. Sex was removed from the score because it is not a habit.
| Factor | Answer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking | Never | 0 |
| Former | +1 | |
| Current | +4 | |
| Physical activity | Little or none | +2 |
| 1–2 days a week | +1 | |
| 3–4 days a week | 0 | |
| 5+ days a week | -1 | |
| Usual diet | Mostly processed / fast food | +2 |
| Mixed | 0 | |
| Mostly vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes | -1 | |
| Sleep per night | Under 6 hours | +1 |
| 6–9 hours | 0 | |
| Over 9 hours | +1 | |
| Ongoing stress | Low | 0 |
| Moderate | 0 | |
| High most of the time | +1 | |
| Alcohol (drinks a week) | None | 0 |
| 1–3 | 0 | |
| 4–7 | +1 | |
| 8 or more | +2 |
Worked examples
Current smoker, little activity, mixed diet, under 6 h sleep, high stress, 1–3 drinks: 4 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 1 + 0 = +8 points.
Never smoked, active 5+ days, mostly whole foods, 7 h sleep, low stress, no alcohol: 0 − 1 − 1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = −2 points.
Understanding your result
The score describes your answers only. It cannot tell you your biological age, how fast you are aging, or your risk of disease.
Sources & further reading
- Levine ME, Lu AT, Quach A, et al. An epigenetic biomarker of aging for lifespan and healthspan. Aging 2018;10(4):573-591.Describes the blood-test based "phenotypic age" used to build PhenoAge.
The points table is our own convention and is not taken from this paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
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