Those deemed 'less attractive' have shorter lifespans than 'more attractive' peers, study finds

According to the investigators social prejudices could play a significant role in the disparity in lifespan. The authors believe social advantages such as better treatment, higher income, and fairer sentencing account for these divergences in mortality, The Science Times report adds.

The authors added that "Attractiveness could directly influence longevity as considerable research has found that there is a genetic component to attractiveness but there is also extensive social science that demonstrates that more attractive people earn more, get treated better by teachers, are less likely to commit crime and, when they do, receive lighter sentences."

"Over time, if people didn’t pay as much attention to looks in daily life, I’m quite sure that 100 years from now we wouldn’t see these differences in longevity," the report quoted Dr Connor Sheehan, one of the authors of the study.