BBC takes up the story:

The gap between male and female life expectancy is closing and men could catch up by 2030, according to an adviser for the Office for National Statistics.

Prof Les Mayhew said the difference between the sexes peaked at nearly six years in the 1970s.

Life expectancy is going up all round, but the rates for men are increasing faster.

Plummeting smoking rates in men are thought to explain a lot of the change.

Prof Mayhew, a professor of statistics at Cass Business School, analysed life expectancy data in England and Wales. He was working out how long 30-year-olds could expect to live.

His findings show men languishing far behind for decades, but now starting to get closer to women. If current trends continue, Prof Mayhew predicts, both sexes could, on average, be living to the age of 87 in 2030.

Full report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17811732

Hmm. Something about this doesn’t quite ring true but I can’t offhand put my finger on it…

The rate of rise, in male life expectancy, seems to be on the increase. I find that a tad surprising.

The average age of both sexes is expected to rise as they converge. I think that is also surprising considering the “health issues” (i.e. obesity crisis) the population is going through.

Divine Angel said:

The average age of both sexes is expected to rise as they converge. I think that is also surprising considering the “health issues” (i.e. obesity crisis) the population is going through.

These projections are conjectural, but so are the less rosy predictions involving a levelling off or falling of average life expectancy due to obesity etc.

The big question is why do women live longer than men? and the answer is not obvious, but if you ask the question a different way, then the answer jumps right off the page at you, “Why do men die before women? because they want to,”

As the article points out, this is life expectancy from the age of 30. There’s a bigger gap when you go younger than that, because males are more likely to die in childhood and youth due to dangerous risk-taking etc.

Bubble Car said:

As the article points out, this is life expectancy from the age of 30.

Buga. Here I was thinking I was sweet until 2030.

I was sort of having a conversation about one of us falling off the perch with SWMBO today. She got a bit upset with me and stated, “all you want to do is go quick, and I can understand that, because I know you’d hate to be lying in a hospital, sick”.

Hard to argue when you know she’s right.

:)

Cop that, citags.