I was intrigued by a headline, ‘the reasons why marriage leads to a long life’ that appeared in The Independent (UK).
According to the article a recent study had confirmed the truth that
MARRIAGE IS GOOD FOR YOU!
Apparently marriage not only boosts physical health in men and mental well-being in women, but the longer it endures, the greater the benefits all round, resulting in a longer and more satisfying life.
Dr John Gallacher and David Gallacher of Cardiff University’s School of Medicine were asked to ponder the question of whether relationships are good for health. They argue that for a long time the benefits of marriage were based more on legend than on actual evidence.
According to their research, traditionally people thought marriage was a good idea and that nearly everyone was married, so it was hard to make a comparison. But over the last 30 years there has been a lot more social diversity which has made them able to make these evaluations. Dr Gallacher (himself happily hitched for 30 years) says that the bottom line is that medically speaking, the group with the greatest longevity are those who are married.
Their study involving millions of people, over many years, across seven European countries, showed that married couples had mortality rates 10-15 per cent below the population as a whole. This figure rises with the longevity of a marriage.
Their paper claims that commitment is also linked to higher living standards, with the associated network of supportive families, shared friends and healthy lifestyles bringing other substantial benefits. They also found that single men are likely to drink alcohol to excess more than their married counterparts.
Unfortunately their research also suggests that cohabiting relationships tend to be less enduring and statistically hasten the sad road to break-up and its resultant health problems.
Do you agree?
