It seems that stepping back and letting the wife take the reigns of the family may not be quite as relaxing as it sounds.
According to a new study, being a kept man is actually rather dangerous for the health. It raises such issues as heart problems, chronic lung disease and stomach ulcers.
They also tend to suffer from stress-related physical conditions because their sense of masculinity is damaged. This tends to push them towards smoking, drinking and eating unhealthy.
Sociologists from Rutgers University University studied couples over three decades, finding health problems in men whose wife became the main breadwinner early or late in the marriage.
Earlier, research has showed that house-husbands are more likely to be unfaithful with greater risk of having an affair while women who are the main breadwinners may try harder to keep their marriage on track.
The latest study looked at men who had always been breadwinners, those who held that position for most of their marriage and couples who alternated in breadwinning over the years.
The research also looked at the effects of becoming a kept man early in marriage. Compared to men who had always been the main provider, those who lost their breadwinner status as young or older men were more likely to suffer stress-induced stomach ulcers, heart problems and chronic lung disease.
