Dr. Bradley Willcox, a scientist at the Pacific Health Research Institute in Honolulu, was the lead author in a long term study that followed 5,820 Japanese-American men from the Hawaiian island of Oahu for up to 40 years.
One of the largest, longest studies of aging found one more reason to stay trim and active: It could greatly raise your odds of living to at least age 85.
The study notes that people aged 85 and older are the fastest-growing age group in most industrialized countries and are among the largest consumers of health-care resources.
Figuring out how to help people remain healthy as they age is thus a major research priority, the study authors said.The nine midlife risk factors were: being overweight; having high blood glucose levels, which can lead to diabetes; having high triglyceride levels, which contribute to heart disease; having high blood pressure; having low grip strength — unable to squeeze at least 86 pounds of pressure with a handheld device; smoking; consuming three or more alcoholic drinks daily; not graduating from high school; and being unmarried.
So… men who are married are more likely to reach age 85. I’m certain marriage isn’t causal – simply obtaining a marriage license surely doesn’t help us live longer – but something about the values and skills necessary to be successfully married translate into better, longer health.
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You’re right, its not the marriage license, its the cuddling. Cuddling makes you live longer. Ask anybody.
Jason,
Cuddling isn’t exactly in the research… but you may be on to something.
I am currently doing my own research on the impact of cuddling on the longevity of live. I’ll let you know how it works out, in about fifty years.