Why is the average lifespan of women longer than men?

Answer 1

There are several reasons for this.

Before I answer I would like to make clear that I am in no way sexist, or discriminatory in anyway shape or form. (I hate everyone equally! :D)

Men are the primary fighters and aggressors in the world, hence they die more often. Men, generally, have a much less healthy lifestyle than Women. (i.e. They tend to have dirty homes, breeding ground for disease.)

Women tend to have healthier lifestyles. (i.e. eating healthy, clean environments, more disease conscious) Also, women do not have as much testosterone in there bloodstream, which causes aging and deterioration of the body, accelerating muscle growth and physical development.

Again, these are generalizations and do not apply to all of one sex or the other, it is just the nature of the species.

Answer 2

Wow, there are some really sexist answers on here. Lovely! Well, I doubt it's cultural; the effect is too widespread. Plus, while women do tend to take better care of ourselves in this culture (this is not an absolute and certainly a cultural, not biological, trait), we're also trained to be the nurturers. The mother or wife or daughter who neglects herself and her own life to help out her family is such a common idea as to be clicheed now. It's also largely true; wives do a lot of extra work as wives (read Wifework, but ignore all the crap about evolution), and daughters are the ones who are expected to care for elderly parents. I think it is biological. One reason may be that we have two X chromosomes. Because of this, we're less likely to contract genetic diseases. If it's attached to one of our X chromosomes, the other's usually clean and healthy. Men don't have that convenience. There's also evidence that testosterone contributes to increased risk-taking behavior. That combined with a culture that encourages men and boys to do stupid, dangerous things (see: Jackass and any group of males telling each other to do something dumb or else they're "sissies") is pretty deadly. They also get heart disease more than we do. That could be due to testosterone, or I've heard someone say it's because we regularly get rid of our extra iron through menses. Apparently, iron damages organs or something. This is a relatively recent phenomenon, too. Women used to die younger than men, but then we got the whole birth thing under control. When we did die in childbirth, it was in large enough numbers to bring down our lifespans considerably. I'd also like to point out, to the numerous sexists here, that married men live longer than single men. Married women live a shorter time than single women. Interesting, eh?

Answer 3

The average lifespan of any organism is determined by evolution. A complex organism such as a human needs to survive long enough to reproduce and educate its young. A child has a decreased probability of survival to adulthood under the care of a father. The mother makes a superior parent. The disparity in probability is marginal but that is all that evolution needs.

Answer 4

Men don't take care of themselves as well, we drink more, tend to smoke more, tend to eat more meat, we tend to do more dangerous things especially when we are young (I suppose early deaths due to exciting sports or even war add up), and we get stressed at jobs that women do not have. A lot do, but not as many as men, and that effects the statistic. It might be a biological thing, too, some male animals die younger than their female counterparts, I think thats true among cats and dogs.

Answer 5

Why Women Live Longer than Men
By William J. Cromie
Gazette Staff

Studying people who live 100 years and more leads Harvard researchers to conclude that menopause is a major determinant of the life spans of both women and men.

Women's life span depends on the balance of two forces, according to Thomas Perls, a geriatrician at Harvard Medical School. One is the evolutionary drive to pass on her genes, the other is the need to stay healthy enough to rear as many children as possible. "Menopause draws the line between the two," Perls says. It protects older women from the risks of bearing children late in life, and lets them live long enough to take care of their children and grandchildren.

As for men, Perls believes "their purpose is simply to carry genes that ensure longevity and pass them on to their daughters. Thus, female longevity becomes the force that determines the natural life span of both men and women."

Answer 6

Men actualy work for a living in order to support the lazy women.

Answer 7

Simple. Women seek medical advice much sooner than men do. Men tough out pain more and neglect their health more than women do.

Answer 8

this sounds silly, but i think that this will even out one day.. Women today do as much through out their lives as men once did. These conditions factor into your age expectancy...(i.e. working outside of the house, smoking, drinking, etc)
.... we asked for equality

Answer 9

More men work in unsafe environments where they can either be injured or killed, or be exposed to things such as chemicals or dust that can have adverse effects on their long term health.

Answer 10

No one to nag them. Seriously Men-XY. Women XX.