Education & Opportunity

There was an interesting article in the New York Times this week that raised the question of whether their is a link between education and health. Do those who are better educated live longer?  Some economists believe there is compelling evidence.

Instead of linking health and longevity to wealth--it was assumed that if you had more money you could buy better health care--some health economists propose that education may, in fact, have a stronger connection. Several economics studies report that extra years of schooling as a youngster leads to improved overall health in old age.

Why would this be the case?  That's still a mystery.  One hypothesis is that more education leads to more planning for the future.... and less immediate gratification. Anyone who has ever passed up that extra piece or two of holiday pie knows that less immediate gratification may be a cornerstone of better personal health.