Why are married people healthier?

[Xantippe]

I guess it’s the social support that factors into the longevity calculation.

I wonder what is the life expectancy of nuns that live in communities? Have they done studies?

Ah, that is a very good comparison point.

My guess would be very, very good life expectancies

Looked it up–and, yep!

projectm-online.com/new-perspectives/demographics/a-matter-of-lifestyle.

"When he presented his findings, monks often attributed their long lives to a regular daily routine. “Many also pointed to a smooth transition into old age,” Luy comments. Ongoing responsibilities were often considered beneficial by elder monks.

"Abbot President Jeremias Schröder agrees. “In St. Ottilien, a brother’s 65th birthday, traditionally the official retirement entry age in many countries, is celebrated like any other birthday.” The Benedictine community of 100 brothers, nestled into the rolling hills of Bavaria, is one of the monasteries that provided data for Luy’s study.

““Retaining a degree of responsibility in old age is visibly beneficial to the elderly members of our monastery. It often leads to healthier and more-active aging,” Schroeder says. St. Ottilien has no retirement phase in the worldly sense of the word. Instead, a change of tasks is discussed between the brother and the archabbot.”

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

In other studies, though, marital unhappiness and stress were linked with high blood pressure (hypertension), an important cardiac risk factor. Over time, marital stress is associated with thickening of the left ventricle, the heart’s main pumping chamber. On the flip side, a supportive marriage is associated with improved survival among men who develop heart failure.

While better health in married men over single men is the usual outcome, it is not a universal outcome. A poor marriage can have negative effects on a man’s overall health and well being. So it’s on men to vet their prospective fiances well. Will she be the kind of woman he likes to come home to or will she be the kind of woman who makes him dread his time at home? Yes that is extreme, but I’ve seen both. A good marriage lifts a man’s spirits as supported by the cited studies, but a poor marriage can drag him down. There seems to be very little in between in my experience.

 

[Xantippe]

I also think marriage can have the effect of regularizing hours and meal times. Back in my single working gal days, I would not infrequently stay up half the night with a book, wake up early, furiously write up my lesson plans, then go to work. But since marrying, my husband and I have evolved toward going to sleep together, not at a particularly early time, but much earlier than either of us would go to sleep alone. When he’s travelling and I’m home, both of us relapse to bachelor habits and are quite likely to stay up until 2 or 3 AM in our respective locations, which is not nice when you have to get up at 6:30 the next day, and especially not nice if you repeat that schedule for a week.

Religious life provides the same benefit of set hours and set meals, but to an even greater degree.

 

[Lion_IRC]

Yes, I think it’s no coincidence that marriage AND religion are both on the list of indicators for longevity.

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God is giving you”

 

[Xantippe]

While better health in married men over single men is the usual outcome, it is not a universal outcome. A poor marriage can have negative effects on a man’s overall health and well being. So it’s on men to vet their prospective fiances well. Will she be the kind of woman he likes to come home to or will she be the kind of woman who makes him dread his time at home? Yes that is extreme, but I’ve seen both. A good marriage lifts a man’s spirits as supported by the cited studies, but a poor marriage can drag him down. There seems to be very little in between in my experience.

I would suggest thinking about the following questions:

Is this person always in a big fight with their friends?

Is this person always in a big fight with their family?

Are all of their friends new acquaintances rather than anybody who has known them a long time?

Are there a lot of people that used to be in their life, but aren’t anymore?

Does this person have no one in their life except you? Why do you think that might be?

 

[CompSciGuy]

Ican only speak for myself here, but when I was single I had all the time and money in the world, and noone to answer to, and so I ended up being very lazy and making unwise decisions with time and money and also developed poor eating habits (eating out four to five times a week, etc.) Getting married limited both my time and my money; my schedule now revolves around my wife’s for the most part, and I have found that when I have less time, I have ‘more time’ so to speak, that is, I make much, much better use of my time and get things done. I work on the house and the yard a lot which burns a lot of calories to be honest with you. My wife and I have started going to the gym together since we have both found good days of the week for us to exercise. Also we can’t afford to go out to eat constantly so we have been cooking and eating in more often, whcih has also made us more aware of what we eat. We both set goals and keep each other accountable for them, since we see each other every day. So I think for me this is why I am healthier as a married man.

 

[Zzyzx_Road]

Are there a lot of people that used to be in their life, but aren’t anymore?

Funny you mention that … somebody’s ex-wife from long ago showed up in one of my dance classes a few years ago. I didn’t know them well so I didn’t know what the divorce was about. Anyway she recognized me and we started talking. Let’s just say she gave herself away within a few conversations. I wasn’t surprised when she stopped showing up after I brushed her off …

 

[Xantippe]

Funny you mention that … somebody’s ex-wife from long ago showed up in one of my dance classes a few years ago. I didn’t know them well so I didn’t know what the divorce was about. Anyway she recognized me and we started talking. Let’s just say she gave herself away within a few conversations. I wasn’t surprised when she stopped showing up after I brushed her off …

I think only having new friends is one of the biggest red flags there is.

 

[bobballen_18]

Yes, I think it’s no coincidence that marriage AND religion are both on the list of indicators for longevity.

This would mostly sum up my thoughts/opinion on the matter. God really blesses marriages, most especially those which are faithful to Him!