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man of the year
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Location: SeoulCity... Posts: 80
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 Posted: Tue May 03, 2005 11:04 pm Post subject: Being single 'worse than smoking' |
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2195609.stm
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Being single 'worse than smoking'
Getting wed is good for your health
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.
It is as clear as day from the data that marriage, rather than money, is what keeps people alive
Professor Andrew Oswald, Warwick University
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. |
what if you're single and smoke?  |
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agraham
Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Location: Daegu, Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 12:41 am Post subject: |
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| Married men live longer but single men live more. |
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matthewwoodford
Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Location: Location, location, location.
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| Does living together count? |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 1:29 am Post subject: |
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Ive heard that married men live longer than single, and single women live longer than married. We give you the best years of our lives! 
I have heard these statistics, but it seems odd to me, as it seems that if you are single you have more interest in taking care of yourself. Single women I know tend to be slimmer and fitter than the married ones.
Anyway, I have about given up entirely on these studies. Now the CDC in the States is saying that it is healthier to be a bit overweight. I don't buy that, either.
My single great aunt is still alive at 98, which is about average in my family. Yes, that is anecdotal. But the best predictor of longevity still seems to be genes- consequently, I bet I'll be chasing the orderlys around the nursing home while some of you young (married) guys are dropping like flies.  |
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man of the year
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Location: SeoulCity... Posts: 80
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 8:43 am Post subject: |
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| desultude wrote: |
| Ive heard that married men live longer than single, and single women live longer than married. We give you the best years of our lives! |
Isn't love high fantasical?
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| I have heard these statistics, but it seems odd to me, as it seems that if you are single you have more interest in taking care of yourself. Single women I know tend to be slimmer and fitter than the married ones. |
Prolly coz most of them are crushin on and lovin married men. 
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| Anyway, I have about given up entirely on these studies. Now the CDC in the States is saying that it is healthier to be a bit overweight. I don't buy that, either. |
Ditto. It's prolly just a bunch of fat married health experts spreading nebulous rumors.
| Quote: |
| My single great aunt is still alive at 98, which is about average in my family. Yes, that is anecdotal. But the best predictor of longevity still seems to be genes- consequently, I bet I'll be chasing the orderlys around the nursing home while some of you young (married) guys are dropping like flies. |
They'll prolly be chasing you around, sexy!  |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| man of the year wrote: |
| desultude wrote: |
| Ive heard that married men live longer than single, and single women live longer than married. We give you the best years of our lives! |
Isn't love high fantasical?
| Quote: |
| I have heard these statistics, but it seems odd to me, as it seems that if you are single you have more interest in taking care of yourself. Single women I know tend to be slimmer and fitter than the married ones. |
Prolly coz most of them are crushin on and lovin married men.
| Quote: |
| Anyway, I have about given up entirely on these studies. Now the CDC in the States is saying that it is healthier to be a bit overweight. I don't buy that, either. |
Ditto. It's prolly just a bunch of fat married health experts spreading nebulous rumors.
| Quote: |
| My single great aunt is still alive at 98, which is about average in my family. Yes, that is anecdotal. But the best predictor of longevity still seems to be genes- consequently, I bet I'll be chasing the orderlys around the nursing home while some of you young (married) guys are dropping like flies. |
They'll prolly be chasing you around, sexy! |
wild sphere? Good god! You have more socks than Imelda has shoes! |
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Manner of Speaking
Joined: 09 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 04, 2005 8:52 pm Post subject: |
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yesterday's child
Joined: 26 Apr 2005
Location: better for me if you don't know.
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 2:36 am Post subject: |
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| Manner of Speaking wrote: |
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I agree. Being single is a lot cheaper, too. |
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Vince
Joined: 05 May 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 9:59 am Post subject: |
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| agraham wrote: |
| Married men live longer but single men live more. |
Right out of the gate. Well done. |
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lastat06513
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Location: Sensus amo Caesar , etiamnunc victus amo uni plebian
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 7:24 pm Post subject: |
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agraham wrote:
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| Married men live longer but single men live more. |
I'll have to second that motion
Once You go Stag, you never have to hear her nag
enough said.... |
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deeluvskitties
Joined: 09 Aug 2004
Location: songpa-gu
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 10:57 pm Post subject: |
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| i've actually heard that single women live longer, healthierlives than married women, so i'm not sure if the research is conclusive. and i think this kind of statistic will change as more and more people live together and enjoy the apparent health benefits of simply having a companion - meaning it isn't socially-sanctionaed marriage that increases longevity, its a close support system and a reason (love?) to want to be healthy. |
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red dog
Joined: 31 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 11:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Or maybe sick people are less likely to get married than healthy people? |
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Medic
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 05, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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was an article in the readers digest a while back about the most stressfull things that could happen to any one.
At the top of the list was divorce, but just under it in next place was marriage. Could be true, because most marriages are full of fighting and bitching anyway. |
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Len8
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Location: Kyungju
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 6:46 am Post subject: |
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Never heard of any one dying of loneliness or boredom. Heard of many cases where some one died from being married. Wives drive some husbands to drink and then they subsequently die as alcoholics.
There is a big joke in Korea about Korean husbands dieing while their wives and kids are living in the U.S. or Canada learning English
Korean men are pampered by their mothers and fathers right up to marriage. They never have to go it alone. Subsequently when there is a separation for the sake of education of the children, fathers are left alone with no social skills to live a normal life. Everything the wife did is totaly alien to them, and they haven't a prayer of learning how. So voila life is too dificult.
Ideally it would be nice to have all the love that goes with being married, but at the same time continue to be single.
Last edited by Len8 on Mon May 09, 2005 2:43 am; edited 2 times in total |
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Deconstructor
Joined: 30 Dec 2003
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sun May 08, 2005 7:59 am Post subject: |
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This whole thing seems common sense to me. Obviously if you have love and support in your life you're gonna live longer regardless of being married or not. The study seems to imply that marriage provides both love and support, which is probably more true for men than women.
You can't tell me that being married to an a*shole would prolong your life!! |
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