Why women become grumpier with age while men happier
By ANIFriday, October 22, 2010
LONDON - Getting old is not a happy prospect for any of us, but men tend to handle old age much better compared to women, says a new study.
For men, retirement spells the end of the drudgery of work, but for women it signals misery and loneliness, the study revealed.
Prof Sir Michael Marmot said that women in particular tended to be unhappier as they grew older because they had outlived their husbands and their children had grown up and moved away.
“Older women are more likely to be living lives of loneliness because men die earlier,” The Daily Mail quoted him as saying.
Taking care of sick relatives just added to the pain, he said.
“Those who are caring for their partner spend more hours providing care and have a poorer quality of life than those caring for other people,” the research found.
The study, carried out by researchers from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, revealed that men over 65, in contrast, were happier with their lives than their young male counterparts.
This could be because they don’t have to work every day, thus giving them more time to concentrate on hobbies and spend time with friends and family. (ANI)
