Younger Men Like Older Women

Ever feel that getting older makes you less attractive?

Well, who could blame you? That myth is foisted upon us by the media every day. (It keeps advertisers happy because it sells tons of product to make us feel better about ourselves.)

Yesterday's New York Times dispelled it in an article about younger men who pursue older women.

According to the article by Marcelle S. Fischler, many young men are eager to date more mature women for a variety of reasons. Some are into it for probably the wrong reason (older women are more sexually experienced; one lummox described them as "grateful"), but others, including one 27-year-old who is dating a 41-year-old mother of three teens, say they like older women simply because they're more mature.

The article also mentions a 28-year-old real estate project manager who says he'd be willing to date 8 out of 11 women (nearly old enough to be his mother) who attended an event for younger men who wanted to meet older women.

Fischler also cited a British study which found that 20% of men in their 20s and 22% of men in their 30s would date an older woman. That's about one in five, Ladies.

Loving a Younger Man

Conventional wisdom used to say that only men like Jack Nicholson and Mick Jagger got away with dating much-younger members of the opposite sex, but everyday women are dating--and marrying--guys young enough to be their own sons in increasingly greater numbers.

The December issue of More magazine features a fascinating essay by E.D. Cohen, a woman who, at the age of 37, married a 21-year-old man.

Women like Cohen have become so prevalent that BBC America produced a documentary about relationships between younger men and older women called Sugar Mummies, to which the Today show devoted a segment last week. Meredith Vieira interviewed Linda Franklin of The Real Cougar Woman and Valerie Gibson, author of Cougar-A Guide For Older Women Dating Older Men.

The AARP reports that 30% of women over 40 are dating younger men.

Got you thinking? Dating coach Ronnie Ann Ryan helps you figure out which type of younger man is right for you.