That’s right!
Studies have shown that being in a loving, committed, and long-term relationship has a lot of health benefits!
While there is debate about which sex, male or female, benefits from this relationship more, there is overwhelming data which suggests being in love is good for you!
Life span is perhaps the greatest benefit of a marriage or a life-long partnership as married people have longer average life spans and are drastically less likely to die at an early age.
In fact, a 2007 study that looked at death rates among European people over age 40 found that the rate was twice as high in unmarried men as in married men.
Diseases like diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, lung disease, and other chronic ailments are all lower in married couples.
Unfortunately for women, marriage only cuts the risk of cardiac death in half for them, while married men are three times less likely to die from heart disease than their single counterparts.
Substance abuse is (obviously) lowered, especially for men, once married.
A 2006 study that tracked the substance-use patterns of thousands of young people before and after marriage found that men abruptly scale back their binge drinking and marijuana use when they get married.
Why? Women are more emotionally supportive and encourage their partners to live healthier lives. Thanks ladies!
Depression, which affects twice as many women as men, is less likely to affect women who are married or even just live with their significant other. A 2005 study of women over 50 found that cohabiting reduces the risk of mental health problems just as much as getting hitched.
Stress, which tends to affect men more easily than women, is reduced in men who are romantically involved.
A 2010 experiment found that paired-off men had smaller spikes in cortisol levels than single men after taking part in a competitive game.
Sex gets better! Although a popular belief is that marriage makes for a boring and dull sex life, studies find cohabitating couples have more sex than people are single or dating! At the same time, married people in particular report more satisfying sex lives than those dating or living together.
What’s the one health factor that a partnership or marriage does not benefit? We’ll give you a hint: Don’t cancel those gym memberships after tying the knot.
Unfortunately for married couples, weight actually INCREASES once married. A real bummer, but it makes sense since both men and women in long-term relationships tend to let themselves go.
However, it is even more unfortunate for women, who appear to gain a bit more weight on average after marriage than men.
It should be noted, for those who do not believe in the institution or aren’t legally (and shamefully) permitted to take part in the institution, that these benefits aren’t limited to a marriage, as one expert says:
“I don’t think it’s necessarily a matter of the marriage license; it’s a matter of the level of social support and mutual attachment.”
Sounds like falling in love is a good thing on multiple levels, so when you find the right one, don’t let them slip away!
