Women live longer than men. And in many cases, it’s the choices that men make that causes their own downfall. (Okay, not the lightning. You can’t blame us for getting hit by lightning.)
According to Statistics Canada, the average life expectancy for a Canadian woman is 83 years. Men tend to shuffle off about four years earlier at 79 years of age. Here are six reasons why men die earlier than women.
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Men die in car accidents. Many more men than women die each year in motor vehicle crashes. Men typically drive more miles than women and more often engage in risky driving behaviours such as speeding, aggressive, and impaired driving. One recent study found that men were twice as likely as women to die in a car crash.
Men take more risks. Similarly, to being more dangerous drivers, men engage in generally more unhealthy and risky behaviour than women. From increased levels of smoking and drinking, to engaging in physically dangerous activities such as extreme sports, men are often the causes of their own demise.
Men are more often struck by lightning. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lightning strikes have consistently killed more men than women in the last 50 years – roughly 85 per cent of deaths caused by lightning were men.
Men don’t go to the doctor. Men are far more likely to avoid regular health screening and far less likely than women to have seen a doctor of any kind during the previous year. Where women may catch a treatable illness early and fully recover, men will miss the warning signs until it is too late.
Men die of heart disease more often and at a younger age than women. In fact, men are 50% more likely than women to die of heart disease. The fact that men have lower estrogen levels than women may be part of the reason. But medical risks, such as poorly treated high blood pressure or unfavorable cholesterol levels, may contribute as well.
Men die on the job. Most of Canada’s most dangerous jobs are held by men, (mining, construction, logging, commercial fisheries, etc.) This explains why men are 30 times more likely to die on the job than women.
So, if your partner suddenly takes out a life insurance policy on you, it doesn’t mean she’s planning to bump you off. It’s probably just common sense.
