Alright that’s a slight exaggeration, but, if figures released by the Office of National Statistics are to be believed, it does look as if you are working in the right profession if you want to live to a ripe old age. According to the figures, men in their late 20s and working in routine jobs such as bus driving, labouring or behind a bar, are five times more likely to die as those in the professions and in managerial roles. All this fits in neatly with the results of the famous ‘Whitehall’ survey carried out a while back by Sir Michael Marmot of University College Hospital. This study linked longevity to social status, reasoning that senior managers and directors are the most protected from stress (and its damaging effects) because they pass on to someone further down the food chain. Whatever you are engaged in, life expectancy in the UK is now apparently at its highest level ever. Boys born in this country can expect to live to an average of 76.9 years and girls to 81.3 years. Which does seem a bit unfair to your (male) author.
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