A study led by Professor Linda Waite of the University of Chicago examined the health histories of 8652 people aged between 51 and 61. Results showed that divorced people in the sample experience 20 percent more chronic health conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease, than married people, the UK's Daily Telegraph reported.

Divorced people also had 23 percent more mobility problems, such as difficulty climbing stairs or walking short distances.

It is believed the stress and financial uncertainty of separation can continue to take their toll on people's bodies decades after the divorce is finalised.

The flip side of this is that marriage certainly has health benefits. Those benefits are thought to stem from the positive impact of wives on their husbands' lifestyles and diets, as well as the financial security that being in a committed couple allows.

However, interestingly, the study showed that the health benefits of marriage are significantly reduced the second and third times around. Unfortunately for people who divorce and then remarry, the research revealed that there were still 19 percent more mobility problems and 12 percent more chronic problems for them, compared to those who have been continuously married.

"Among the currently married, those who have ever been divorced show worse health on all dimensions. Both the divorced and widowed who do not remarry show worse health on all dimensions," sociologist Professor Waite said.

There are also concerns for those who put-off marriage indefinitely. The researchers found that those waiting to tie the knot until late middle age are potentially putting their long-term health on the line.

So don't think the safe option is to stay blissfully single. The results showed that those who've never been married have 13 percent more depressive symptoms and 12 percent more mobility problems than their married counterparts. However, they are no more likely to suffer from heart disease or cancer.

"Some health situations, like depression, seem to respond both quickly and strongly to changes in current conditions," Professor Waite said.

"In contrast, conditions such as diabetes and heart disease develop slowly over a substantial period and show the impact of past experiences, which is why health is undermined by divorce or widowhood, even when a person remarries."

Professor Waite's research, conducted with Dr Mary Elizabeth Hughes of Baltimore's Johns Hopkins University, will be published in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Happily married people can be smug in the knowledge that their relationship is facilitating an improved quality of life compared to their single counterparts. It's thought that single people tend to work longer hours and miss meals because they don't have someone to go home to. Singles are also more likely to drink excessively and die of smoking related illnesses, the Daily Telegraph reported.

So the next time someone questions whether marriage is really necessary in modern society, the answer is it definitely has its benefits, whereas divorce could be more destructive than you think.

Related video: The truth about dating after divorce