Despite the emergence of miracle new medical tech like the ‘Exercise Pill’ that could replace workouts forever and the innovative ‘Fountain of Youth’ drug that can increase lifespan by 10%, it seems that some of us are destined to live shorter lives than others… but not for the reason you might expect. New research was conducted and revealed that less attractive men might die younger than their more attractive fellows.
The Hidden Cost Of Ugliness
Previously, Harvard University found that more attractive people are more likely to divorce or have shorter romantic relationships. Now, a study published in Social Science and Medicine found that, on average, ‘ugly’ men live almost a year less than their more attractive peers, and unattractive women may die two years earlier than the more beautiful women.
This research, conducted by Arizona State University and The University of Texas at Austin, analyzed data from over 8,300 high school seniors in Wisconsin from 1957 until their death or old age in 2022. The data was gathered from a multi-generational survey about well-being. Not only did the thorough study document health data throughout the participants’ lives, but it also included evaluations of their appearances based on old photos from their high school yearbooks.
Evaluators rated the participant’s attractiveness on a six-point scale, and when comparing these ratings with death records from the National Death Index, it was found that those rated as the least attractive had a 16.8% higher chance of dying earlier than those in the middle attractiveness groups. Fascinatingly, there was no notable difference in death rates between the middle and most attractive groups.
The study also found that people rated as the least attractive faced a greater risk of dying earlier compared to those who were rated as average or very attractive throughout their lives. According to DailyMail, the study’s authors, Connor Sheehan and Daniel Hamermesh, said this in a statement:
“Little is known about the association between facial attractiveness and longevity. But attractiveness may convey underlying health, and it systematically structures critical social stratification processes.”
The Reasons Why
Researchers suggested that social biases might be a major factor in these lifespan differences. While less attractive faces might sometimes indicate health issues, Hamermesh thinks that social benefits like better medical care, higher earnings, and fairer legal treatment play a part in the varying mortality rates.
Hamermesh told The Times that:
“Over time, if people didn’t pay as much attention to looks in daily life, I’m quite sure that 100 years from now we wouldn’t see these differences in longevity.”
Dr. Sheehan mentioned in an interview at Arizona State University that while attractiveness itself doesn’t directly affect how long people live, it might still have an impact. For example, more attractive people might be healthier, which could be the reason for their increased lifespan.
Do you buy into this? And where do you consider yourself to be on the attractiveness spectrum? if you;re near the bottom end, it might be time to get your affairs in order…