Life expectancy gap narrowing between sexes

Good news, guys: we're living longer and catching up to women in terms of life expectancy.

Life expectancy in Canada increased for men in 2002 while holding steady for women, according to a new Statistics Canada report. Specifically, men born in 2002 can expect to live 77.2 years, up 0.2 years from 2001. Life expectancy for girls born that year remained the same at 82.1 years.

Statistics Canada said it is part of a trend that shows a continued narrowing of life expectancy between men and women over the past two decades. The gap had narrowed to just 4.9 years in Canada by 2002, from 7.4 years in 1979.

Researchers are not sure why the gap is narrowing, but I'd be willing to bet that some factors include safer and healthier jobs for men (ie less exposure to toxins at the workplace and less physical labour), and that men are starting to take better care of themselves, particularly in terms of better eating habits and through avoiding smoking.