Have you noticed that there seem to be
more old women than old men? Statics
worldwide confirm that, for whatever
reason, women do indeed live longer than
men. There are all sorts of theories out
there, from genetics to levels of risky
activities. Whatever the reason(s), in
nursing homes and other places where
older people are in the majority, there are
usually more older women than older men.
“Why can't a woman be more like a man?"
It's a humorous question asked by
Professor Henry Higgins in a show-stopping
song from the Broadway musical My Fair
Lady. But Higgins would sing quite a
different tune if the subject was longevity.
When it comes to life span, why can't a man
be more like a woman?” (Harvey Simons,
2004) Women do indeed live longer than
men. But why? And can men do anything to
catch up? “Do women live longer than men
because they are less affected by the social
gradient?” What is it about a woman that
makes them able to live longer in life? “In
eight months, 174 persons between the
ages of 100–110 celebrated birthdays. 151
were women, 23 were men. Thus, 87% of
persons 100 or older were women, and
only 13% were men. In addition, there
were 18 women and only two men
between the ages of 105.” (Capps) This is a
shocking study, out of all these people only
23 were men. This begs the question why
is it that men die before women?
Women live longer than men. It is unfair,
but true. In developed countries, the
average difference is five or six years. In the
poor world the gap is smaller, owing to the
risks of childbirth. But nowhere is it absent.
The question is, why? Death in males is
60% higher than females
(www.sciencedirect.com/science?) They
blame these statics on heart disease mostly.
Females have certain hormones that help
combat this disease. Yes women can still
get this but they are not as likely as men.
Men also in the habits and they way they
live their lives encourage these odds. The
other causes of death are due to men’s
behaviors throughout his life, suicide, lung
cancer, cirrhosis of the liver. These are also
from the way men live their lives. They live
their lives drinking and smoking they are
obviously going to have more health
problems than women, who for the most
part don’t participate in these activities.
It is also said men wear themselves out
from their own competitive nature.