Way too many people think that married people live longer. They think it is a fact. It is not. I have been debunking this for years, starting with Singled Out. Every time a new study comes out that is relevant to the myth of the long-living married people, I take a close look to see what it really says.
Here’s what I have written so far about getting married and (not) getting to live longer:
No, getting married does not make you live longer
“Dead or Married” was the actual headline. That added insult to inaccuracy
Watch out, singles! Once again, you are doomed to an early grave by cheater technique
Death and marital status: The link is not what you think
Maybe this time it will stick: ‘Get married and you’ll live longer’ is a myth
The health hazards of having been married
Serving up same old myths about marriage, with a side of condescension
In a sudden medical emergency, will a spouse save your life?
Is a solitary life a shorter life? Results of a big, new review
Are singles doomed to an early grave? Oh, please
Longevity lessons from the oldest person in the world
The skeptical reader: How the media, and even academic journals, get things wrong
Everything you think you know about single people is wrong
Marriage vs. Single Life: How Science and the Media Got It So Wrong