Does staying single lead to an early grave?

Studies show that single people have shorter life expectancy than their married peers. Photo: Li Hao/GT

In the year that has passed since breaking up with his girlfriend, 25-year-old Li Qianqi has completely let himself go.

"Being a single man is really different," said Li, sighing. "Over the past year, I've put on over 15 kilograms, and my face has become blistered with acne."

Although Li and his ex-girlfriend, surnamed Zhou, lived in different cities, with Li in Beijing and Zhou in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, being in a relationship gave Li's life a sense of order and purpose.

While still together, Li would organize his time during the day so he could spend his evenings chatting or playing computer games with Zhou online.

He paid attention to his grooming and his physique, ostensibly in order to please her. Zhou, a stickler for routine, would promptly turn in for bed at 11 pm each night. Li would go to sleep too.

Since going their separate ways, such habits have fallen to the wayside, and Li's life has fallen into disarray.

"I read a scientific report of some sort saying that single people tend to have more health problems, which makes sense to me," said Li.

The report Li is referring to is a study analyzing the correlation between bachelorhood and life expectancy, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology in 2011.

With a total sample size of around 500 million people, among the study's findings was that single men are likely to die between eight to 17 years earlier than their married counterparts, while single women face the prospect of death seven to 15 years earlier than their wedded peers.

The study, which caused a stir in the mainstream media when it was initially published, has received renewed attention in the wake of Singles' Day last month in China.

Last year, the National Population and Family Planning Commission released a report indicating that there were 249 million single people in China over the age of 18.

The survey incited considerable public anxiety in a country where marriage has traditionally been seen as prerequisite to entry into adulthood.

Lifestyle habits of the lonely

Now single, Li usually does not sleep until the wee hours. He plays computer games or watches videos online until 2 or 3 am, and then gets up late the next day, often skipping breakfast. When they were still together, it was Zhou who urged Li to have breakfast each morning.

A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health published in US health journal Circulation last year showed that men who regularly skipped breakfast faced a 27 percent higher risk of having a heart attack or dying from coronary disease. Similarly, irregular sleep patterns have long been linked to lower life expectancy.

"I play League of Legends [a multiplayer online video game], and the people who play with me always joke that everyone who plays the game must be single, or else they would be spending time with their girlfriend rather than seeking companionship through a computer game," said Li.

"Playing computer games is just a way to distract myself so I don't feel so lonely."

Li also turned to alcohol to cope with his breakup, and stopped going to the gym. "[My ex-girlfriend] told me she dislikes men who are fat, so I went to the gym," said Li. "Now it's all okay, because I don't need to please her anymore."

Du Shengxiang, a psychologist who specializes in relationship and marriage counseling, said it is easier to develop unhealthy lifestyle habits when living alone.

"Couples often supervise each other to live a healthy life," said Du. "For single people, it's a lot harder."