Friday, 30 October 2009
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Single vs. Married: Who lives longer, healthier lives?
Studies have shown that married men live longer, healthier lives than single men. Why is this the case? The obvious being that there is a female to take care of them, to watch out for them, to be their medical advocate. When men become widowed, what do they do? They get remarried.
Studies have also shown that single women live longer, healthier lives than married women. Why is this the case? It has nothing to do with pregnancy and its associated risks for females. What it is is the stress, the wear and tear, of being a wife, a mother, and holding down a career. of having to be everything. We pay the price with our health. And here these men that are griping and whining about this and that female and how much females suck, when we're giving them the ultimate sacrifice - prolonging their life by giving a few years of ours!
On another note, statistically, women live 5 to 10 years longer than men for a variety of reasons (better habits, better coping mechanisms etc), so females, think twice before marrying that handsome, older gentlemen. When you're 60 and he's 70, guess who's spoon feeding him, changing his adult diaper, following him to the hospital, taking care of everything for him. You are. It's one thing to lose a husband because he dies earlier, it's another thing for him to get sick and demented earlier and having to take on the burdens of being a caregiver.Who do you think leads healthier, more fruitful lives? Are you evidence of a contraction to either of these studies?
For more reading, follow the links below.
Reduced midlife physical functioning among never married and childless men: evidence from the 1946 British birth cohort study.
Associations between strain in domestic work and self-rated health: A study of employed women in SwedenNever-married childless women in Australia: Health and social circumstances in older age
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Comments (19)
I'm evidence. Been single, staying single, 19 and still act like a man(girl?)-child. You're only as young as you feel, and relationship stress makes you feel that much older. D:
- Kunoichi
As a single woman, I say awesome; however, it would be nice if married women could live as long as I'm supposed to. Here's hoping for more egalitarian relationships in the future. :D
Why do single people live longer? My opinion is that marriage takes too much time and stress: apartment, bills, children, both sides' families, shared properties/insurances etc...
I AM... EVIDENCE... I BEEN SINGLE FOR 4 YEARS AND I'M HAPPY... STILL! WHEN I WAS IN A RELATIONSHIP THAT'S ALL I DID FOR MY EX 'CUZ HE WAS EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE AND THE MORE I MADE HIM HAPPY THE MORE DEPRESSED I GOT AND I ALWAYS SAY I ALREADY GOT ENOUGH GOING ON IN MY LIFE AND HAVING ONE MORE PERSON TO DEAL WITH WILL KILL ME AND I KNOW IT WILL 'CUZ EVERYONE WHOSE IN MY LIFE THEIR PROBLEMS BECOME MY PROBLEMS AND I'M ALWAYS HAVING TO HELP THEM SOLVE THEM AND BE THERE FOR THEM AND IF I DON'T HELP THEM I FEEL GUILT SO YEAH!
Ima be single the rest of my life and live to age 199!
This post has wrong written all over it. Sexist much? Married women live shorter lives because so much of it is spent caring for their men? Raising children? Stress of managing a family and household? Give me a break, this isn't 1946. Men who work hard physical labor, or in factories, or who try to hold two and three jobs to provide enough income for the family (including that bitching wife who never thinks you are good enough, or she has enough, who is holding the "honey-do list" at the door, tapping her foot when you come dragging your tired ass in) are under no stress? Single Dads who raise the kids and cook and clean and attend PTA meetings, who work nights or weekends so Junior can have the new bike, or darling daughter can have her new saddle are not worn out and under stress?
What it is is the stress, the wear and tear, of being a wife, a mother, and holding down a career. of having to be everything. We pay the price with our health. What the heck are you whining about? We have been doing this for years. And putting up with your whining, nagging, never good enough attitude to boot. Plus you always have a headache, or have the "Oh God, I suppose, get it over with" attitude in bed. Self pity much?
...so females, think twice before marrying that handsome, older gentlemen. When you're 60 and he's 70, guess who's spoon feeding him, changing his adult diaper, following him to the hospital, taking care of everything for him. You are. It's one thing to lose a husband because he dies earlier, it's another thing for him to get sick and demented earlier and having to take on the burdens of being a caregiver.
Where would you start with a statement like that? Because there is a ten year gap in age your husband will automatically get sick and be demented, and you'll be stuck caring for him? What if it's your sorry ass that gets dementia, and you wind up in a nursing home at 53, strapped to a wheelchair drooling all over yourself? You want him to just dump you, or grit his teeth trying to care for you, along with earning all the income, doing all the household chores, being grandfather and grandmother to the offspring? Or will you find someone who, when he says, "in sickness and in health, for better or for worse", really means it? And the picture above is hilarious. You can bet the twins aren't going to do crap for this guy when he gets sick and can't care for himself. His wealth will hire nurses and caregivers to do that. They might break a nail. Just like the wench on his left, they are sitting around waiting for him to kick off so they can live off his money. You think they'd even be in the same photo if he weren't rich? Just picture the guy being broke and having a lot of debt, and tell me they are there " for better, for worse". Right. They are there for the size of his checkbook, nothing more. Parasites. Pretty, but deadly nonetheless.
Interesting your "additional reading" and statistics come from foriegn countries. That's where the "Doctors" are with all the miracle cures, too, isn't it? You can find "studies" and statistics to back up whatever position you want.
You want an accurate picture of geriatrics and the interaction of aged married couples vs. singles? Go spend some time at your local church. Then pay some visits to the local nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. It is heartbreaking for me to take communion to the elderly at these nursing homes, many in a near vegetative state, or worse, mentally able but physically disabled, and no family EVER comes to visit. Even those with sons and daughters right in the same town.
The hell of growing old is loneliness. Isolation. Exclusion from life because your body is worn out, or your mind doesn't function quite right anymore. Stop and think about that for a while. Then get your sorry ass out from behind your computer, and spend an afternoon with your grandmother or great aunt.
Single life is a much happier way of life! - Therefore living longer.
Why put up with all the stress and shit from a relationship? Heartattack waiting to happen!
I think it all depends on the person..If you meet someone and are completely happy with them, it's going to be better for you. If you like being single and doing your own thing, that's probably the healthier thing for you. I have single friends who are always stressed because they think they'll never find someone..So my guess it that wouldn't be good for your health. Guess it just depends how you look at the situation.
@Ork58@xanga - so I'm not sure where your perspective is coming from or what sort of interactions you've had with women. But women are faced with 2 opposing voices: the voice of the feminist who screams chase your career! be the man's equal! and the voice of the traditionalist who is screaming your job is at home! be the best mom and a wife! No matter what we do, we are falling short somewhere.
Men traditionally only hear the voice of work. Not too many people are screaming be MR. MOM! unless your a single dad, but the studies don't look at that.
"Interesting your "additional reading"
and statistics come from foriegn countries. That's where the "Doctors"
are with all the miracle cures, too, isn't it? You can find "studies"
and statistics to back up whatever position you want. " are you kidding me? Britain? Australia? Sweden?? These are hardly 3rd world countries! I added studies from other countries because it doesn't have to be from AMERICA to have a point. and yes, you can find studies to back up whatever you want, and if you take a look at my original entry (http://wonderland7386.xanga.com/714711888/single-vs-married-who-lives-longer-healthier-lives/) , I had said, "Here are just a few of many different articles, take them for what they
are worth, if you have objections, research yourself and let me know.
I am here to learn as well and am open to ideas." Healthkicker likes to edit the entries.
and just cuz the guy is 10 years older than the female, doesn't mean is absolutely going to be demented, but ON AVERAGE, men die earlier than females so it's just something to think about.
I'm just a med student right now, but I spend 50-80 hours aweek in the hospital CARING for these sick patients and most of them are elderly. and let me tell you, men with wives do better than single men because they have an ADVOCATE. someone to take care of them, to make sure their meds are in order, to make sure they're following their meds. I'm sure men make great advocates when women are sick, but a lot of times the husbands are already dead by the time the woman gets sick.
You made some good points, but my entry was just to add in another view that some people who aren't in the medical field don't think about.
like a study was needed to figure that out
I don't know about that. But when you are single and old, and nobody to take care of you. No problem. You can still take care of yourself the night before you die. It can happen only, and only when your body is pure with no toxin and you have no disease. To learn how to do it, enter into
http://BeautifulLifeSharing.blogspot.com
Don't delay. The sooner you do it, the better the chance you can die that way. Click the link above now.
@KrazeeKunoichi009@xanga - haha totally agree.
bahahahhaha
im still getting married :)
x
Hahaha Guy pays for everything when he get's married/ :)
Im in a relationship now and I think its taken ten years off my life already.. just for the fact that im engaged and hes trying to control my world and not let me go out with friends and everytime I do hes like promise me you'll be good.. and hes the one with three things weighing against him and one against me.. cause he got mad that i texted a guy about a party..
so I'd say if you have the right person I think you'll be happy.. but single is the way to go
to the poster above me.. In my relationship IM THE MAN I PAY FOR EVERYTHING and he doesn't wanna work he'd rather sit at home and play video games
Thank you sooooo much for providing sources! I dislike reading articles that make claims and don't back it up. You rock for using peer-reviewed journal articles, and rock more because this is fascinating. You know, if you beef this up a little more, you may be able to submit this to a magazine like Women's Health--they're always talking about babies/marriage and health.
What's the sample size on this study? Statistical significance on any of the data? Also, there are far too many confounding variables from culture and other things in each of those countries. I'm going to get married and live a long life---Those statistics can predict absolutely nothing.
oh well, ill live to be over 100. not forever like those glittery vampires...just over 100.
how sad. stupid statistics i'm going to prove them wrong!