While the jokers and sceptics in the room might shake their heads knowingly, a study has revealed that the secret to good health is marriage.
Sticking together, in sickness and in health, it seems can be a recipe for fantastic wellbeing, according to researchers from across the pond. Academics in Utah and Nebraska recorded the health of 2,000 married Americans over the course of 20 years and discovered an obvious distinction between good health and living in wedded bliss.
The unique study is the largest of its kind which has delved into married life, according to The Telegraph. Men and women were quizzed about their relationship and its dynamics and how well they were treated, as well as being questioned about their general physical health.
Generally, younger married participants started off with good health and those with difficult marriages suffered in wellbeing years down the line. Adding to the findings, those who managed to conquer their marital wrangling also saw health improvements.
Co-author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family, Cody Hollist, said there was no way of knowing why the findings uncovered what they did: “There is no way to tease out what caused what,” he said. “But it is clear that marital quality and health run in tandem.”
The conclusion of the research is complemented by another recently published study which claimed that major heart surgery patients who are married are three times more likely to make a recovery than those who are not.
This week the Office of National Statistics made reference to married people being healthier because they are less likely to smoke than those who have not skipped up the aisle, regardless of any positions in long-term relationships.
So next time you question wedded bliss and let snoring and nagging get you down, remember that it’s all part of a long, happy and healthy life!