Although men are usually physically stronger than women, they're not always healthier - and are more likely to die sooner. A new report on men's health from the NSW Department of Health highlights some alarming differences between men and women. On average, men die six years earlier than women. After the first year of life, the death rate for boys is 35 per cent higher than girls. Fifty per cent of men in Australia are overweight, compared to one third of women.
Men are more likely to have heart disease and cancer.
Around twice as many men die of skin cancer than women. In people under 65, cigarette smoking causes around 40 per cent of deaths in men, compared to 20 per cent of deaths in women. Men are more likely to die or be seriously injured as a result of road accidents, falls, drownings, accidents at work, or violence. They are more likely to die of alcohol abuse. Men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women.