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Don’t Want Dementia? Stay Single
Study challenges the idea that older married people are healthier
For the longest time, the narrative has been that married people are happier, wealthier and healthier than single people.
It’s easy to understand why some married couples may be wealthier, especially if both people are employed. There has been some pushback on the belief that married people are happier; research indicates that it could just be that happy people tend to marry more. Plus let’s not forget that society privileges marriage and coupledom in general, which can impact the happiness of single people who may want a romantic partner but haven’t found one, as well as those who are happily single but still face societal stigma and stereotypes, especially women.
But when it comes to married people being healthier, research has been mixed. It’s true that married men often are healthier than single men, mostly because their wives are better at nudging them to get health check-ups, make sure they visit doctors, eat healthier andexercise. Men are a lot less likely to try to influence or manage their wives’ health behaviors, however.
Worse, according to 2009 study, wives who are diagnosed with cancer or multiple sclerosis are six times more likely to find themselves separated or divorced shortly after…
