Is Being Male Hazardous to Your Health?

by WiredBerries Editors — November 30, 2007

Men are stronger than women, right? On average, men are bigger, can lift more, run faster, and jump higher. But ask doctors which is the stronger sex where health is concerned and you'll hear, "women." So what can men do to become healthier and keep up with the ladies? The answer is simple. The experts say that when it comes to health, men need to act more like women . That means understanding their bodies, taking better care of themselves, and getting the medical care they need.

In the U.S. and around the world, women live longer than men. The average American woman has a life expectancy of 80.4 years while American men are more than 5 full years behind at 75.2 years. At every age, starting at conception, males have a higher death rate than females. And when it comes to the five leading causes of death--heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, and accidents--men die from these conditions at rates 40% to 220% higher than women in the U.S.

Why do men lead in illness and lag in health? It's the big question that has no single answer. The health gap is likely based on a complex mix of biological, social, and behavioral factors. But "The Chuck Norris Syndrome" is at least partly to blame. The primary symptom is when men deny their symptoms for as long as possible because they don't want to be wimpy about it. When they can no longer pretend nothing is wrong, they grit their teeth and "tough it out" instead of getting appropriate medical care.

Women, in contrast, are more consistent about check-ups and preventive care. They are better at listening to their bodies and reporting concerns to their doctors. In fact, the Commonwealth Fund found that three times as many men as women had not seen a doctor in the previous year. Also, 33% of all men versus 10% of women do not have a regular doctor.

Although it's somewhat natural for men to want to be "tough guys," it's important that society begins to support them in also being "sensible guys" who don't consider "dealing with it" the best form of medical treatment. After all, when us women are "80 and aching" we'll want our honeys around to listen to our complaining. Come to think of it, maybe men have already figured that out, which is why they're so willing to check out early...just kidding!