It's been well established that it sucks to be unemployed. And that it sucks to be undereducated. And that (in terms of socioeconomic equality) it sucks to be a woman (IN THE PATRIARCHY). And that it sucks to be white (no explanation necessary). Now, we know that the combination of all these things will, in fact, kill you.
A new study sought to explain why it is that white women who did not graduate from high school have a much higher mortality rate than white women with more education. They found only two factors that really mattered. From the NYT:
As it turned out, smoking was important, as had long been established, but researchers were surprised that joblessness had a dramatic effect, even after controlling for factors that employment would have generated, like income and health insurance.
The good news, I guess, is: drink all the booze and eat all the Cheetos you want! Just be sure you finish high school, don't smoke, and hold onto your job. Alternately, be a man. Makes life a lot easier.
[NYT. Photo: Shutterstock]