WASHINGTON (AP) -- Married people are healthier than other adults, though husbands have a tendency to pack on some extra pounds, says the National Center for Health Statistics.

Some noteable Quotes from the article:

"the theory that healthy people get married and stay married, whereas less healthy people either do not marry or are more likely to become separated, divorced or widowed."

"Overall, this association between marital status and health persists regardless of socio-economic status, education and poverty, where people were born or their ethnicity," she said.

An association between marriage and health was first reported in the 1970s, and the relationship persists although much has changed since then.

I wonder if the people who are not married are eating too many of the Monster Thickburgers?

The two hypotheses work pretty well in tandem; without data, I think it's fair to say that when a marriage is working, the husband gets moral support and builds a social network with other couples whose marriages, we assume, are also working pretty well. All in all, a healthy spiral.

But when a marriage is failing, a guy will tend to drink more, have affairs, take risks, and generally hit the skids. The marriage could suck because the guy has a predilection toward doing all that in the first place. But the bad marriage could also drive him to it.

However, I think the government study misses two huge points:
Married guys have more sex than single guys, and tend to make more money.

I don't know if having a good income makes for a healthy marriage, but it sure doesn't hurt, given how many marriages founder when they run into financial trouble.

And, while we all joke about how little sex we have, it should be some comfort to us married guys that multiple studies and surveys have shown that single guys are getting MUCH less.

We know that income and social status tend to be pretty good predictors of exercise behavior -- higher-status guys will exercise more. Sex? Well, if it isn't good for your health, then I don't want to be healthy. (Fortunately, it is. But I did enjoy writing that line.)

So add it up:
Guys in decent marriages trend toward higher income and social status, get more sex, and are less likely to smoke or drink heavily.