A new study shows that a low social status can be bad for your health. Researchers in the USA looked at the behaviour of 45 female monkeys. The monkeys with a lower social status were unhealthier. The monkeys were split into groups. They had time to get to know each other. Researchers then took one monkey from each group and put her into another group. Researchers found that the "new girl" was unhealthier than the other monkeys.
The researchers said that although their study was on monkeys, it could also be true for humans because we share a lot of our DNA with monkeys. A professor told the BBC News that governments should understand that people with a lower social status have more health problems. He said they have got cars and TVs, but that does not mean they are happy. Richer people can live up to two decades longer than poorer people.
