A friend of mine has just split up with her boyfriend because he wanted complete freedom as well as the relationship. He sounded like a toxic bachelor to me, but I was surprised to hear my friend had never heard the term.

It’s been in use for a few years to mean a man who thinks he’s living the good life but will end up in an early grave and I thought it might be time to recap.

According to an article in The Sunday Times, lots of men don’t become mature adults because they don’t have to. They earn good money, live alone or with friends, own the latest gadgets and take exotic holidays out of season. Although they are 58% more likely to die before they reach 50 than men who settle down with a partner, many continue to enjoy their lifestyle until middle age without seeing the drawbacks.

It catches up with them though. Numerous studies show that single men suffer more heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer and even flu. They spend more time in hospital and take longer to recover than married men and have shorter life expectancies.

Women on the other hand, seem to do better and live longer on their own!