Career women prefer rich men – survey

Edmonton Journal reported that well-off modern women today want "size" in a man, and the size refers to the man’s financial assets or bank account. That’s based on new research findings that showed today’s career women prefer a mate who’s lifestyle reflects their success and status in life which can be translated to a man with money. Successful women they say don’t want to marry down. However, in the end, despite the bizarre survey assumptions, it is genetic compatibility that women want, not a meal ticket. This means that there’s still room for romantic Hollywood movies. But wait, how about women without money or position?

Well, the current and forthcoming mainstream movies on Canadian screens are saying something else. It is the reverse, meaning, it is impoverished girl, rich boyfriends never poor boy, rich woman. There are several follow-ups to the golden-hearted "prostitute" of Julie Roberts who bagged her millionaire Richard Gere in Pretty Woman. Last month’s box-office hit was Reese Witherspoon landing a rich, powerful politician in Sweet Home Alabama. The newly-released Indo-Canadian film Bollywood, Hollywood, the heroine escort girl gets a handsome millionaire in Toronto. Next change is Jenifer Lopez who portrays a housekeeper in a five-star hotel who attracts a powerful, rich politician Ralph Fiennes followed by the new Sandra Bullock starrer working for a super billionaire Englishman in the form of Hugh Grant.

All these movies must be directed to people fantasizing in hooking a partner with money and good looks. It is evident that the social-climbing genre will continue to flourish, so get an immediate reality check after screening the said movies for the masses.

Here’s an interesting case that came from Calgary. The Canadian Transportation Agency dismissed the complaint of an obese Calgary woman who argued her size was a disability and that airlines should not make her pay extra for a larger seat. The agency concluded that being unable to fit in a seat should not be enough evidence of the existence of a disability as many people experience discomfort in the seat.

Air Canada allows obese passengers to purchase a second seat at 50 percent of the full economy fare within North America. But the discounted price is often higher than the excursion fares that many passengers pay. Anyway, Air Canada has no plans to change its seats of fares even with the fact that one in two adult Canadians is considered overweight or obese.

Reading regular Canadian statistics and survey results are not only informative and amusing but also gives me added insights to the ever-changing Canadian way of life. Here are a few recent findings:

• Canada is a nation of sales clerks today according to a recent census. More Canadians work at selling than any other job.

• Almost 30 percent of Canadians over age 65 live on their own. Solo living has grown for Canadians of all ages in the past 50 years. The feminist revolution has much to do with the change.

• Immigrants to Canada are said to be physically and mentally healthier than native-born Canadians. Studies found that recent arrivals tend to have a lower incidence of chronic diseases and sharply lower levels of depression and alcoholism. It is sad to know that those who have lived in Canada longer, tend to report more health problems than those who have immigrated more recently. A study indicated that immigrants from Asia had the lowest rates of depression while African immigrants had the lowest rates of alcohol dependence of all immigrants.

• Canadian men from families with high incomes live five years longer on average than lower-income men. And wealthier women live two years longer. As expected, the upper-income advantage is credited to lower rates of smoking, obesity, defective housing and violence. However, some causes of death showed little change including lung cancer and prostrate cancer for men, and breast cancer for women.

• Proportions of so-called "traditional" families, married couples with children, continue to decline. Married couples accounted for 70.5 percent of all families last year, down from 83 percent from 1981. What was once known as "living in sin" is more common than ever, 13.8 percent of all families in 2001 are not married, just living together.