Why Marriage Makes Men Healthier

The family is the most basic and essential unit of grouping known to us. Even in the animal kingdom, at least mammals and birds, if not reptiles or amphibians, usually exhibit some such structure or grouping. Such a grouping is, at the very least, essential to the survival of young until they have learned enough, and are big and old enough, to be able to survive in this world on their own. A family can mean many different things, and can be composed of a vast and unending variety of combinations of people, related by blood, affection, ideals or necessity among others, as the case may be. The most common kind, though, is usually built around a bond of marriage.

Most societies that exist today recognize and emphasize marriage as an essential and requisite stage in one's social life. There may be many different forms and kinds of marriage, both officially and on the low down within the four walls of a home. But marriage, in whatever shape and form, still enjoys a predominant position in the roster of social institutions. It is often recognized, however ruefully, by even the most vehement of critics, as being an essential institution when it comes to maintaining the health of our social structures. Now scientific studies and the data collected by them shows that marriage may actually have an equally huge effect on the physical health of those involved.

The effects of marriage on the health of participants were studied over a long period of time, leading to some interesting results. While being married or single had almost no effect on the health or longevity of women, the effect on the health of men was dramatic. Studies showed that men who were married tended to live longer than men who were divorced. Divorced men, that is, men who had once been married, in turn, tended to live longer than men who had never been married. These results, which only established the link between marriage and longevity in a statistical study, seem to corroborate what is common wisdom. There are a number of obvious reasons and conclusions to be drawn from this study about the impact of marriage on longevity, and specifically, the male lifespan.

There are already a number of studies that exist that corroborate the impact of socialization on health and longevity. The more friends you have or emotional and social bonds you form, the longer and healthier your life. This could also be a result of improved emotional health, which can come from having an active social life, a large social circle, and regular interaction with people you know well. Meeting friends and family, and other people that one is fond of, makes one happy. This is because the body actually releases endorphins, the 'happy hormone', when you see people you like. By creating a family of one's own, you have instant and easy access to interaction not only with your family, but with a larger circle of acquaintances that come into your life because of your family. Forming and fostering these bonds can have a direct and significant effect on your life. Finding people to relax with, to take time off and to laugh with, can mean that much more time devoted to de stressing, where your body is allowed down time in which to recuperate.

A healthy marriage also means a partner with whom to share your concerns and the burdens of the demands placed on you by the daily grind. This sharing can halve or lessen your stress and tension as a result of these factors, making their impact on your life much less harmful. Simply talking on a daily basis could be as good as a visit to a shrink, except you don't have to pay for it, and you can do it for longer than an hour. Such a routine allows for de stressing on a daily basis, which may mean that you go to bed calmer, and your body is better able to achieve deep sleep so that you gain the rest you need and wake up truly refreshed.

Eating regular meals is much easier to do when there is more than just one person to think of. When two people or more live together, the rituals of daily life easily acquire a regular rhythm that allows for some sort of order and an organized way for the demands of each individual to be met. Preparing the food and consuming it becomes a ritual in itself, allowing you to eat in a much more relaxed and receptive manner, which in turn can mean that your body is better able to digest the food you eat. Even simply eating meals at a regular hour helps your body be better prepared to digest the food, as it learns the schedule and automatically prepares itself to be more receptive to food when it is time to eat. Such simple things can have a huge and significant effect on your health and happiness.


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