Anyone weighing the pros and cons of tying the knot may want to take this fact into consideration: marriage is good for your health.

And this is not just a matter of opinion, it's the conclusion of research carried out by medical practitioners. The United States Centre for Disease Control (CDC) recently reported that married people are generally healthier than individuals who are single, widowed, divorced and even those living with a partner.

This report was based on the findings of a study, which was conducted over three years and involved 127,000 adults. Researchers found that persons who were married were less likely to suffer from health conditions such as back pain, headaches and psychological or stress-related disorders. Additionally, they were less likely to smoke, drink heavily or be physically inactive.

The CDC is not the only one promoting the idea of a strong link between "coupledom" and well-being. Dr Dean Ornish, president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in California has declared that there is scientific evidence that intimacy is a powerful tool for healing.

In his book, Love & Survival, Dr Ornish argues that "love and intimacy are the root of what makes us sick and what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing".

Similarly, a study conducted in 2003 by psychology professor Dr Linda C Gallo found that married women aged better and were less likely to get heart disease than singles. "Human connectedness is a basic fundamental need for people," she says.

"Marriage or being in a close relationship is an important part of life. When it is good, it doesn't just make life pleasurable. It is good for health. When people are in happy situations, maybe they exercise together; maybe they sit down to healthy meals together," she adds.

Newly-wed Sandra Marsh didn't need to hear the research findings to know that marriage can bring a greater sense of emotional well-being, she has herself as proof. "Marriage has had a remarkable effect on me," she told Thursday Life.
"My sense of emotional well-being has gone through the roof because I have a life partner, a best friend and unconditional love. So no matter what you go through in the day if you know you're coming home to unconditional love you feel better emotionally, mentally and physically," she adds.

Her husband Jerry says he endorses the CDC's findings. Since his wedding last year he says he has been eating more regularly and having healthier meals largely as a result of his wife. "She is much more conscious about things like eating right and that has helped me a lot. I used to drink but I cut it out even before I was married and certainly being in a committed relationship has strengthened my resolve not to start drinking again."

In the same way, Nelly Clairemont says it was her five-year marriage that brought about many lifestyle changes that have had a positive impact on her health. "The bad eating habits I had as a single woman changed when I got married. When I was by myself I was lazy about cooking and would skip meals. Now that I have a husband I have another person to consider so even if I'm tired I make the sacrifice to prepare something."

However the fact that couples are more likely to have regular meals gives rise to another problem. The CDC found that married people are more likely to be overweight or obese, especially the men. In fact, among men and women aged 45-64, three out of every four married men were obese and the slimmest persons were men and women who had never married at all.

This is a scenario that the Marshes see playing out in their own lives. "You cook more, you eat more, you tend to eat later together and before you know you put on weight. Plus, although you still want to look good you don't feel as much pressure to look 'hot'," she explains.

For Jerry, his weight gain is negligible especially when weighed against the numerous benefits of marriage not the least of which is a dramatic decline in his stress levels. "The best thing about marriage is that you have support and that is a huge thing in terms of reducing stress. When you have a source of comfort and support it's good for your mental health."

But it's not just an issue of having someone to come home to as the CDC found that persons living together without the benefit of marriage tended to be as unhealthy as persons who had been through divorce. The real issue, Clairemont says, is the security and emotional stability that comes from commitment.

"When you're just living together it doesn't smack of permanence and deep down I think we all have a desire for the companionship of a committed relationship. But when you're in a situation where you feel like the person can leave at any minute that kind of lack of commitment can wear you down," she reasons.

Dr Earl Wright, the Ministry of Health's director of mental health, cautions that support rather than marriage per se is the real stimulator of well-being. "In the Jamaican context we have to be careful how we use the term marriage because there are people in common-law unions that provide good support for one another and having a good support system is always conducive to better health," he explains.

With over three decades of experience in dealing with mental health issues, Dr Wright stressed that the critical factor is the quality of the marriage. "What we're talking about is a good and supportive marriage. Nobody is saying that a bad marriage can be good for your health. In fact if you're in a bad marriage it is going to be very stressful for you."

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World