Marriage Boosts Your Lifespan

Forget long walks and cutting on calories, the secret to a long healthy life is marriage.

Yes, you heard it right. According to new figures, men who lose their lifelong partner often die soon afterwards.

The figures reveal that widowers over 85 have the highest rate of death per 1000 (191.6), while married men in the same age group have a death rate of only 140.3 per 1000.

"It seems longevity and marriage are directly linked ... and marriage is good for your health, the Daily Telegraph quoted Australian Minister Justine Elliot, whose office analyzed the figures, as saying.

The figures suggested that married people have lower death rates and live longer because they are more likely to look out for each other's health, serve as role models to children and engage in less-risky behaviour.