A new German study shows that people who divorce die years sooner than others, putting them in company with smokers, the homeless, and the poorly educated.

Divorced people on average have a life span nine years shorter than others, according to the study by Rostock University’s centre for demographic research released this week.

“We assume that being divorced strongly influences lifestyle,” study contributor Gabriele Doblhammer told daily paper Der Tagesspiegel on Wednesday. “Married people seem to have a more regulated lifestyle than singles, and the divorced embody a combination of factors that can lead to an earlier death.”

The study, which reviewed the influence of social behaviors and conditions on the life expectancies of 50-year-old Germans, found that on average, men can expect to reach 77-years-old, and women 82.3-years-old.

Researchers chose to study 50-year-old subjects because they have “already experienced a lot and adopted behaviors that have an influence on death risks,” Doblhammer told the paper.

People found to have the highest life expectancy were non-smokers, moderate drinkers, married, high-school educated and employed. Females from this group also had one to two children.

Rumors of Paul McCartney’s imminent remarriage are all over the internet. This will be his third marriage. According to sources he is waiting for his girlfriend to complete her divorce from her current husband.

Sir Paul might want to move cautiously as he approaches his THIRD marriage. Some experts say that third marriages end in divorce 74% of the time. This is in contrast to a 50% divorce rate for first marriages and a 67% rate for second marriages.

In related news, Heather Mills, Paul’s second wife has apparently found a way around a gag order issued in her divorce from Paul. She will, reportedly, pen a novel about a model that marries a famous rock star. Very clever.