Ever since 1928, when the discovery of penicillin virtually wiped out maternal deaths due to "childbed fever," women have been living longer than men. But that is changing. As short a time ago as 2003, the life expectancy gap was five years. Yet according to a 2011 study from the University of Wisconsin's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, that figure has shrunk to just over two years. A man who is 65 today may well live to the impressive age of 82.3. For a woman of the same age, that number squeaks up to 84.9.
So the guys are catching up to us. This trend is partly due to the advent of Lipitor, bypass surgery, and other medical advances that are helping to keep men from dying early of heart attacks. Yet even as their lifespans are getting longer, ours are not keeping up at our historic pace. Researchers say this is because women are so stressed out these days that they're resorting to unhealthy habits such as skimping on sleep, grabbing fast food, and relying on meds, alcohol, and cigarettes to cope. Ouch! Here's hoping we can learn to mend our ways and stop literally killing ourselves slowly.
Yet even if we do, the fact will remain that the boys are living longer than they once did. Economists, relationship gurus, and other experts are busy batting around theories about what this might mean for our collective future. Still, Susan Jacoby, author of "Never Say Die: The Myth and Marketing of Old Age," sounded a realistic note among the clamor when she pointed out in a recent "New York Times" article that "The skies will not be 'raining men' in old age, particularly among the 'old old' over 85."
