Even after being diagnosed with a fatal disease, women survive longer than men. Women are more likely than men to have health concerns in mind when they select food. They are also more likely to use vitamins regularly, and to be an appropriate weight for their height. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to engage in vigorous physical activity in their leisure time. Men and women are exposed to different levels of risk with regard to factors linked to illness and disease.
Men tend to drink and smoke more, and are more likely than women to be overweight.
Women report higher levels of stress at home and in the workplace, which is associated with the onset of chronic disease. Women also make greater use of the health care system, although this is largely because of their reproductive role and female-specific heath care needs during childbearing years. But even when they have relatively minor ailments, women are more likely than men to respond initially by treating themselves or by going to a doctor. Few people's first reaction is to ignore symptoms altogether, but this is more common among men than among women. Although women's life expectancy surpassed that of men throughout the 20th century, the gap began to narrow during the 1990s.