“Live longer by marrying a much, much younger woman!” advises romance consultant Angie Ang

 

“A healthy diet is not the only way to promote longevity for men,” says Angie Ang, lacing the fingers of her hands and resting them on her lap. “Marry a younger woman and he’ll live longer.”       

“Any scientific evidence?” I sip my cup of tea and release a silent exhale.

Romance consultant Angie Ang and I are sitting in her office in Pavilion Tower, Kuala Lumpur. Her lively eyes twinkle like the sparkle from her silver earrings and her décolletage is peeking out from the neckline of her dress, causing my heart to ricochet against my rib cage.  

 “Of course!” Angie’s eyes gleam with seriousness. “A study conducted by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany showed that men with younger wives lived longer as compared to couples who were of the same age.”

“What’re the reasons?” I slope back in my chair with a loose fold of arms, my gaze on her kissable lips, hotter than a welder’s torch.

“First reason,” Angie says, capturing my gaze with a potent one of her own. “A younger wife has positive psychological and social benefits for the old bastard, err, I mean, fine old gentleman.” A laugh tumbles from her throat, lips parting to reveal small, even teeth the colour of ivory. “Second reason, she is also able to provide better healthcare for her older husband.”

“Is sex in the picture?” I shoot Angie a pixie grin.

“Possibly.”

“Oh? How?”

“Researcher Jennifer Rider, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, found that men who ejaculated more frequently has less risk of prostate cancer.” Angie's lips upturn in a smile and two dangerous dimples wink at me. “Her results were published in European Urology, err, 2016, if I’m not mistaken.” She cocks her head sideways and her lips unfurl like a rosebud opening to embrace sunlight. “In fact, earlier studies have indicated that more sex equals longer life span for men. For instance, the British Medical Journal has an article by Professor George Davey Smith of University of Bristol. He found that sexual activity has a protective effective on men’s health.”

“In terms of age gap, how young is young to be socially accepted?”

 

“Half the man’s age and add seven. That’s a socially accepted age gap. Example, if the man is forty, it’s twenty plus seven, making a total of twenty-seven.” 

“So, women who marry younger men also live longer?”

“Unfortunately, no.” Angie’s voice is laced with dismay. “In fact, a follow-up study by the Max Planck Institute showed the reverse.  Women with young husbands increase their mortality risk by twenty percent.” She refills my cup with tea from a porcelain pot at the side of her desk and I take a gulp. “The best choice for a woman is to marry a man who’s the same age as her.”  

“Huh?” My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Why waking up next to a young handsome man has no positive psychological benefit for the old cow? Ooops!” I compress my lips to tamp down a snigger. “I mean the wonderful mature lady.”

Angie plants an elbow on the arm rest of her chair, places her chin on her hand and ponders for a beat. “Possibly, there’re factors that stress her, like feeling insecure that the husband may be cheating on her and social pressures such as gossip from toxic people.” She snatches a notepad and scribbles on it. "You want details? Here’re a few websites that have info on the longevity benefits of a man marrying a young woman. Read them.” Her manicured fingers tear away the first sheet of paper and hand it to me.

Heat scorches my cheeks as my fingers brush against hers. “Thanks.” I rise and take my leave. 

/end