Do married people live longer?
It's a debate I'm addressing after reading a recent comment on my co-worker Allison's blog. The commenter notes that marriage is good for your health.
Many people use that claim to endorse the virtues of coupledom, and subtly bash the single life.
But it's not entirely true, according to social scientists like Bella DePaulo, author of the pro-singles book "Singled Out."
People marrying for the first time often report better health, but the period around divorce is also associated with better health for the people breaking up, DePaulo concludes. Read more here.
And here's the thing: All correlations between good health and marriage are based GOOD marriages. Meaning that if health advantages do exist -- a topic still up for debate -- you only reap those benefits if you're happy.
Conversely, bad marriages have in some studies been shown to have adverse effects on your health.
Widespread claims of a correlation between good health and marriage make some people say we're still living in a society that is for the most part anti-single.
Thoughts?
