Posted on 08/20/2002 1:13:54 AM PDT by JediGirl
The health benefits of being married are so large that single men are at greater risk of dying than smokers, says a study.
The study looked at comparative risks over a seven year period - but experts warned that the lifetime risks of smoking were much higher.
Scientists have frequently found that married men and women tend to be in better health than their single counterparts.
This is partly because of the "social support" of having a wife or husband - and perhaps because both single men and women have a worse lifestyle - and no-one to look out for their wellbeing.
However, the latest study, by researchers at the University of Warwick, looked at thousands of records from the British Household Panel Survey and the British Retirement Survey.
It found that, even when the effects of smoking, drinking and other poor lifestyles were taken into account, married men had a much lower risk of death.
Over a seven year period, the married male had a 9% lower risk of dying compared with an unmarried one.
When smoking and drinking in this group was taken into account, the benefit was reduced to 6.1%.
Not money
The effect was less for women - reducing the risk of mortality by 2.9%.
According to the Warwick calculations, a male smoker had a 5.8% greater risk of dying, and a female smoker 5.1% extra risk.
Professor Andrew Oswald, who led the research, suggested that male smokers should get wed as soon as possible to counteract the risk.
He said: "Forget cash. It is as clear as day from the data that marriage, rather than money, is what keeps people alive.
"It makes perfect sense to ask how a ring of gold can possibly do this.
"But the honest answer is, that we don't know."
However, while over a seven year period, the risks of smoking compared to single life might be roughly comparable, the lifetime risk to smokers is much higher.
A long-term smoker is thought to have a one in two chance of dying prematurely.
Whether the lifetime risk of being single even begins to approach this figure is highly dubious.
Because someone took the heat off you to get married for 15 minutes. ;)
Regards, Ivan
And with that, Inge CAV was suddenly rung by Anna Nicole Smith...
Regards, Ivan
You're right. She may be young, but hardly a lady. ;)
Still now you know who is frantically trying to get through to you.
Regards, Ivan
Bitter? No I don’t think so…
I’m single guy who occasionally smokes… and I don’t believe I’m bitter.
I often meet single women of my own age group who share some of the “problems” of being single and would like to settle down. I don’t feel they are bitter either.
Of course, you must understand that I reside in an area of the world where it’s normal for people to marry at a young age, religion is flourishing, and there is a genuine respect for the family.
The drawbacks to living in such an area are so few as to hardly be worth mentioning; But they do play a minor part in the reasons I am choosing to remain single at this time. Please allow me to explain:
I live in an area that has solid “roots” in the farming and mining traditions… It’s not uncommon for some to have “a little extra girth” about them… well, the women are FAT! They are blobs of un-toned muscle fed on a diet of biscuits and gravy…6 or 7 times a day…. all washed down with a diet coke to justify their deluded lifestyle.
- Not only are they FAT! They have tattoos and about 243 earrings!
- Every one of them has a da*n cell-phone stuck to their ear and you never know when, during the course of a conversation, they must interrupt you to make a call to their friend HILDA TO GET HER RECIPE FOR BISCUITS & GRAVY!
- NOT ONLY ARE THEY FAT! These “single” women all have at least 4 kids… combined weight about 1900 lbs.
- They believe the best education is the “School of Hard Knocks”… Meaning of course, all those years they spent in the 3rd grade were for nothing!
- Oh, they’ve got the true faith alright… They don’t smoke, drink, or dance unless they’re alone or with somebody…BUT THEY DON’T HESITATE TO TELL YOU HOW BAD SMOKING, DRINKING, AND DANCING IS FOR YOU!
- When they do decide to put the cell-phone down (in-between bites of biscuits and gravy), and get around to conversing… it’s always about how their ex-husband treated them so unfairly… and how “lucky” their parents were to stay together all those years…despite “dad’s” incarceration.
BITTER? I’M NOT BITTER! I just love it when my “married” friends introduce me to a 38 year old, 400 lb. “divorcee” with 6 kids, 12 body piercing symbols, 19 tattoos and who tries to dress like Brittany Spears!
- Who, when you wind up meeting for dinner, asks right off “Are You Saved” and is talking to the waiter!
-Call’s her friend on the cell phone to ask what wine goes well with biscuits and gravy and proceeds to tell you how different her life would have been if she had just not “married Brad”…lived with him…let him have her wonderful (if slightly non-physically fit) kids….just not married him! And why couldn’t she find a guy just like Aunt Mildred’s husband Otto!
- Asks you questions like “It’s alright to let a 12 year old get a tattoo.. Isn’t it!”
- Does not like to read because the words in the Harlequin Romances are too big!
- Tell’s you that just because she believes in “fortune-tellers” doesn’t mean she’s not a good Christian… and if your slightly skeptical about her claim to being Cleopatra in another life… you can go “F” yourself!
- Whines endlessly about “BRAD” and how “HE DONE HER WRONG”…leaving you no where to go in the conversation but to ask if she would like another order of biscuits and gravy?
- Coyly let’s you know she loves to dance by saying such sophisticated things as: “So do you wanna take me dancing now? Well I’m going to play “hard to get… at least until I finish my biscuits and gravy (smile)!” And you know a dance with her means you are letting the physical forces of her fat inertia loose upon all mankind…like trying to stop a super-tanker on a dime. “OOOH, BRAD USED TO LOVE TO DANCE WITH ME!!!”
BITTER! YOUR DA*N RIGHT I’M BITTER!
Best wishes to you,
-Grump
Now you've done it, you've marked yourself out as being a challenge. Hope your credit card bills are paid up, mate.
Regards, Ivan
Regards, Ivan
Putting on World War II army helmet and diving behind the sandbags
Regards, Ivan
Hope you're not including me in that group...
It wasn't enough you found a way to work Burke into the conversation...was it?
NOOOOO! You had to go "info-copy" Desdemona!!!!
Now I'll have to probably move to New Jersey! :o)
Best wishes to you...despite what you have done! (LOL)
-grump
Truer words never spoken. The second time around is bliss.
As someone who's been single, married, divorced, and remarried, I say it's better to be single than with someone who makes you miserable, but it's much better to be with someone you love than alone. The problem lies in having to go through a number of people whose purpose in life seems to be making you miserable, before you find one who makes you happy. This was hard enough in the pre-meat market/gender role confusion days. Now, it seems almost impossible, and I can see why so many singles throw their hands in the air and say, "Forget this sh*t! I'm permanently 'off the market'."
It's funny that we're complaining about the stereotypical trivialities like leaving the toilet seat up, commitment-shy men, etc., yet the real problems aren't the time worn ones, but the newer ones: "Jerry Springer Show immorality", the increased acceptance of using others, the confusion regarding gender roles, etc. More often than not, the hostility & baggage from being subjected to all this cr@p in a previous relationship, leads to the destruction of a future relationship or two.
I can see why a growing number of singles are choosing to opt out of this vicious circle. I think it's very sad that it's come to this, though, because it's all worth it when you finally find your soul-mate.
Hope you're not including me in that group...
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