This study is from Japan, but it rings true for all of us. Divorces that come in middle age or later are overwhelmingly likely to be initated by women. And when they do, the men they divorce are much more likely to die. Here’s an article about it in the Daily News of Mainichi.
Divorce in Japan cuts about a decade off a man’s life. Japan is bracing for a new wave of divorces when baby boomers start reaching retirement age. Does that sound familiar? The National Institute of Population and Social Security Research in Japan researched the life expectancy of four cohorts, those with spouses, those who never married, those whose spouse died and those living alone after divorce. The men living alone after divorce had the shortest life span.
The article says that men living alone are more likely to eat what they like and in large quantities. They’re more likely to smoke, to drink, and to live sedentary lives. By contrast, for women, divorce is often liberating, allowing them for the first time to explore new relationships and develop a zest for life that has lain dormant during their marriage.