Yes, you're right. The study is different than what the article says. The article is taking a leap of faith from that study to generalize, so, fair point.

But even for that study, I'm a little skeptical of their results. There are so many factors that figure into mortality, it's hard to believe a positive attitude can really be singled out as significant.

Diet? Age? Exercise level? Family history? Weight? Where does positive thinking sit on this list?

Whether you're using it as a proxy for fitness or mortality I think it's a questionable correlation, IMHO.