Winner takes all

Live it up The Oscars the us

There is more to winning Oscars that just the fame, the popping flashbulbs and long speeches. A study of actors has found that people who go on to win an Oscar live up to four years longer than other nominees who head home empty-handed, reports the March issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

However, actors are not the only beneficiaries. Oscar-winning directors also live longer than their poorer counterparts. On a less superficial level, these findings corroborate earlier evidence that delineates linkages between social standing and health and longevity.

Donald Redelmeier, a researcher for the study, theorises that the golden statuette on the mantel moves the winner up the Hollywood ladder. Therefore, the victors find it easier to get work, and when they do, they're better appreciated and better paid.

But when it comes to screenwriters, the study found that winners died almost three years earlier than mere nominees. One of the theories is that an Oscar doesn't provide the screenwriter with celebrity status and privileges. Also, successful screenwriters, because they don't have to be in under the public scanner all the time, don't have the incentive to stay fit or look good.