Research shows that optimists and happy people are healthier overall, enjoying lower blood pressure and less depression and anxiety, among other measures.

To that end, researchers from the University of Michigan and Fudan University in China set out to learn the extent to which BMI and positive outlook affect the physical and mental health of college students in China's Fudan University.

They found that a positive outlook and BMI both contributed significantly to good health, said Weiyun Chen, associate professor of health and fitness at the U-M School of Kinesiology.

Chen said that taken together, four psychological variables and BMI accounted for 41 percent of the total variance in health. Individually, subjective happiness had the most significant impact, followed by hope, and then BMI.

Find out more about the research that was conducted and how this data can be applied in US schools, read the full article by Laura Bailey here: http://www.ns.umich.edu/new/releases/25234-healthiest-college-students-keep-weight-down-spirits-up.

Related articles:

• The healthiest college students stay on top of these 2 things, according to science (CNBC)

• Healthiest college students keep weight down, spirit up: study (Xinhua)