Comments on: Men’s Health Boost from Marriage Disappearing http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage.php Understand your mind with the science of psychology - Mon, 04 May 2009 10:30:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: anycity http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage.php/comment-page-1#comment-21892 anycity Tue, 09 Sep 2008 10:56:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage-disappearing.php#comment-21892 I can't find the article now, but I read something a while back about a study of overweight individuals.<br /><br />Apparently some whopping percentage of people questioned, who were actually medically overweight or obese, classified themselves as being only slightly overweight, or even fit and healthy.<br /><br />Perhaps our new culture of loving yourself in the shape you're in, has made these men answer more positively than they did in the 70s. I can't find the article now, but I read something a while back about a study of overweight individuals.

Apparently some whopping percentage of people questioned, who were actually medically overweight or obese, classified themselves as being only slightly overweight, or even fit and healthy.

Perhaps our new culture of loving yourself in the shape you're in, has made these men answer more positively than they did in the 70s.

]]> By: Matios http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage.php/comment-page-1#comment-21891 Matios Tue, 09 Sep 2008 03:36:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage-disappearing.php#comment-21891 I mean ... if you hate men you can just say it ...<br /><br />=*( I mean ... if you hate men you can just say it ...

=*(

]]> By: Meroe http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage.php/comment-page-1#comment-21890 Meroe Mon, 08 Sep 2008 23:11:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage-disappearing.php#comment-21890 That was exactly my thought Heather, but that was under the presumption that the gap was moving back to the 'unhealthy' end of the single man in the 1970's. However, I just checked out the abstract (not interested in purchasing the article) and Liu & Umberson actually found "the self-rated health of the never-married has improved over the past three decades". So it appears that the narrowing of the gap is actually moving to the 'healthier' end. <br /><br />So maybe now that the wives are not at home cooking the healthy meals, the males are stepping up to the plate (so to speak :)<br /><br />(No offence guys), but it is a self rated assessment/ questionnaire, and I'm sure there are many who would like to pass themselves on as being healthier than what they are. So I would probaly be exploring the validity of the data :) That was exactly my thought Heather, but that was under the presumption that the gap was moving back to the 'unhealthy' end of the single man in the 1970's. However, I just checked out the abstract (not interested in purchasing the article) and Liu & Umberson actually found "the self-rated health of the never-married has improved over the past three decades". So it appears that the narrowing of the gap is actually moving to the 'healthier' end.

So maybe now that the wives are not at home cooking the healthy meals, the males are stepping up to the plate (so to speak :)

(No offence guys), but it is a self rated assessment/ questionnaire, and I'm sure there are many who would like to pass themselves on as being healthier than what they are. So I would probaly be exploring the validity of the data :)

]]> By: Heather http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage.php/comment-page-1#comment-21889 Heather Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:19:00 +0000 http://spring.org.uk/2008/09/mens-health-boost-from-marriage-disappearing.php#comment-21889 Could it perhaps be that fewer wives were working in the 70s and therefore spending more time focusing on healthy meal preparation and taking care of stressful matters in the home? I know that when I work I am more likely to allow my husband the "pizza and beer" for dinner because I am tired. As a single woman, however, I always took the time to make a healthy meal for myself after work--for some reason eating junk food wasn't an option. When someone (traditionally the wife) is at home to take care of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, finances, errands, and child care it relieves much stress from the other spouse (traditionally the man). Certainly this is not the only explanation, but it may be part of the reason men are seeing less benefit from marriage. I would be interested in examining the reasons women seem to be just as healthy as single women as they do in marriage. Are they more motivated to stay fit and healthy? Could it perhaps be that fewer wives were working in the 70s and therefore spending more time focusing on healthy meal preparation and taking care of stressful matters in the home? I know that when I work I am more likely to allow my husband the "pizza and beer" for dinner because I am tired. As a single woman, however, I always took the time to make a healthy meal for myself after work--for some reason eating junk food wasn't an option. When someone (traditionally the wife) is at home to take care of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, finances, errands, and child care it relieves much stress from the other spouse (traditionally the man). Certainly this is not the only explanation, but it may be part of the reason men are seeing less benefit from marriage. I would be interested in examining the reasons women seem to be just as healthy as single women as they do in marriage. Are they more motivated to stay fit and healthy?

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