Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages. As the clock crept close to midnight last night, Cate Blanchett and Matthew McConaughey were each awarded shiny gold men. And, according to a study reported by Time, those two — and the rest of the 2014 Oscars class — have more to be happy about than winning alone. Researchers from the University of Toronto observed 1,649 Oscar-nominees back in 2001, specifically looking for factors that could influence life expectancy, and found that winners tallied up a survival advantage of about four years over their competitors who left empty-handed. Feel dubious about the connection? The study found that winning multiple awards correlated to an even longer life expectancy of two additional years!
What's a survival advantage, you ask? According to researchers, successful stars are more apt to take care of their health and avoid risky behaviors while in the public eye. Taking that kind of care of oneself has long been linked with leading a full and healthy life. Of course, celebrities also have the financial means to reap basically any benefit out there. In other words, all of us might be in a better place if we had the spare coin to have a trainer six days a week, a private chef, and a manager to handle irksome everyday tasks. Yet, even with all the money in the world, box-office success isn't a silver bullet to longevity (recent tragedies like the loss of Philip Seymour Hoffman come to mind). And, don't each of the so-called "losers" receive a basket filled with $80,000 worth of swag? They're probably doing better than okay. (Time)