Married Adults Healthiest Americans Dr. David J. Demko, Editor-in-Chief AgeVenture News Service www.demko.com 12-16-04 For the past two decades, I've believed in the life-enhancing benefit of marriage. Based on AgeVenture's lifestyle research, my "Death Calculator", which predicts life-expectancy, awards five years to the life-expectancy of married adults. The benefits of long-term relationships is once again substantiated in a new study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). Read on and find out what the CDC is saying about the life-enhancing benefits of marriage. Married adults are healthier than divorced, widowed or never married adults says a study by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The study looked at health status and limitations, health conditions, and health-related behaviors according to marital status and also by age, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic factors such as education and poverty status. The report, “Marital Status and Health: United States, 1999-2002,” was based on interviews with 127,545 adults aged 18 and over. Findings include the following. 60 percent of adults are married, 10% separated or divorced, 6% widowed, 25 never married. 61% of White, 58% of Hispanic, and 38% of Black adults are married. Married adults suffer less from headaches and serious psychological distress. Married adults lead active lifestyles, including work and leisure activities. Married adults are less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive. Married men are more likely to be overweight or obese than other men. Co-habitating adults have more health problems than married adults. Association between marital status and health is most striking in youngest age group. The study results show married adults in better health than unmarried adults. The report, “Marital Status and Health: United States, 1999-2002,” is available at the CDC/NCHS web site at www.cdc.gov See related articles in the AgeVenture archives. AgeVenture Lifestyle Features AgeVenture Headline News Dr. Demko's Death Calculator AgeVenture Front Page News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . AgeVenture Web Site Map AgeVenture News Service, 19432 Preserve Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498 USA