What could be more important to long life than staying in shape?

The answer is astounding!

Although there are influencing factors, regardless of exercise, married men live longer than unmarried—but why?

According to PsychPage.com, studies show that the mortality rates for single men are 250% higher than for married men. Why?

In part it is known that when single people are sick, they spend a longer time in the hospital, have a more complicated recovery period, and more of them die after surgery than married people.

The same studies indicate that nine out of ten married men alive at age 48 are still alive at 65, but only six out of ten are alive if they are single.

Although it makes a difference if you have never been married or are no longer married because of divorce or losing your wife, it’s still true—married men live longer.

I have often joked with my patients that most men would die in their 20’s were it not for their wives. Although I said it in jest—apparently it’s true.

Is there also a correlation between marriage and mental health?

Interestingly, married men are half as likely to commit suicide than single men, no matter why they are single. In fact, widowed men under the age of 45 are nine times more likely to commit suicide.

Married men have less depression, and 45% say they are happy with their lives compared to 25% of single men.

According to statistics, a single man who has never been married by the age of 50 can be expected to die before he is 60.

It’s interesting that when we refer to the benefits that married men enjoy including longer life, less stress, and less depression, this does not correlate to men cohabitating outside of marriage. Those men appear to have no benefits over single men.

For many years it has been thought that men who are married, marry because they are healthier in the first place, or that their wives nag them to go to the doctor with every little problem. The idea is that this would explain their longevity. This is now known to be untrue.

The benefits of marriage and why married men live longer is now believed, even in the secular world, to be due to medical and psychological wellbeing.

Wellbeing in this case is believed to be the result of a deep satisfaction with life. In other words, they are fulfilling their proper role resulting in contentment.

In Scripture, marriage is a reflection of Christ’s relationship with his bride, the Church. God holds marriage in the highest esteem, and we are expected to do the same.

The fact is that it isn’t only Scriptural to marry and love our wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her. It’s stupid not to—unless of course you prefer to live alone and die young.

Studies prove it, gentlemen—women are good for us!