Shocking Study Reveals A Wife's Nagging Is Good For The Husband's Health

Jun 15, 2018

It's a stereotypical male complaint that their wives and girlfriends nag them endlessly, asking for everything from taking out the garbage to wrangling the kids more often. Obviously, not all nagging is created equal, and it turns out that some nagging can even have positive long-term benefits for husbands. 

A new study from researcher Cathy Liu, a professor at Michigan State University, has revealed the health benefits of being hassled by your wife. The research team collected data from 1,228 married couples aged 57 to 85, following their health and relationship habits for five years with a focus on diabetes.

Dr. Liu stated that she wanted to observe how marriage impacts the rate at which patients develop diabetes. She suspected that socialization and family structure could have a strong effect on the disease's development. 

At the end of the study, 389 of the participants had developed diabetes. Most of the men who struggled with this illness reported that their wives were a great help. Their reminders and care-taking, forms of nagging, helped them to maintain the endless monitoring and special diets diabetes requires. They also had a greater chance of reversing their diagnosis. 

Women who rated their marriages as high-quality had lower instances of the disease, while for men rates were only lower for those who reported nagging.

Lead investigator Dr. Hui Liu, also a professor at Michigan State University, suggested that this was a sign that not all self-reported bad marriages are toxic, and that nagging can, in fact, be a positive trait when done with your partner's well being in mind. 

Many men may not feel that a nagging wife is a loving wife. However, women who choose to remain committed to their partners are also committed to maintaining their health so they can share a long, happy life together. Women in general place more emphasis on self-care, and this focus can overlap with a strong desire to ensure their husbands' well-being. This can mean serving more vegetables at dinner, regular checkups at the doctor, or a shared gym membership. 

If you're a man who feels nagged about his health, consider that your wife is simply trying to make the most of your time together, and if you're a woman who nags don't feel the need to stop, but do keep your tone and purpose in mind.

No matter which side you're on, let us know if you agree with the lessons of this new research and tell us how you and your partner work hard to stay healthy together!