Question

Outline some of the reasons for the difference in life expectancy between men and women

Answer 1

According to research data, women live about five years longer than men on an average. There are several reasons for it. Some of them are follows:

Aggression: During puberty and till the early adulthood, the testosterone level is at its peak in men. This is correlated with higher deaths of men during this period. The high testosterone levels give rise to aggressive and reckless behavior, which as a consequence cause higher incidence of road accidents and violence, which may lead to death.

Smoking, and food habits: Men indulge in more reckless and impulsive behavior than women, such as consumption of alcohol, smoking cigarettes and taking drugs. Men also eat more meat and eat less vegetables as compared to women, which lead to health problems.

Hormonal differences: Estrogen in women increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol, whereas testosterone increases bad cholesterol and decreases good cholesterol. The levels of oxidative stress is also lower in women due to the presence of estrogen.