For years, scientists have been saying it is better for your health to be married than it is to be single. And now, researchers at University College in London say that statement is especially true for men.
According to UCL's study — which was published in the American Journal of Public Health — unmarried men are more likely to experience heart and other health problems compared to married men. Illness rates remain unchanged for both single and married women.
“Not marrying or cohabiting is less detrimental among woman than men,” UCL's Dr. George Ploubidis told The Telegraph.
But what happens when a couple gets divorced? According to the study, as long as a person finds a new long-term partner, their future health should remain unaffected.
In 2010, researchers at Harvard Medical School stated the reason single men were significantly less healthy than their married counterparts was because they were less likely to exercise and visit their doctors and more likely to take risks and eat unhealthy foods. So basically, couples take care of each other — possibly because they're thinking of their long-term future together.
But just because you're single doesn't mean you're bound to be sick and unhealthy. Though heart disease is higher for singles, Time reports that those who are unattached are less likely to gain weight and have less stress than those who are married.
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