Just who is more healthy men or women? Well, not surprisingly at least in this country, it appears that women have the edge.

For one thing, women live on the average 4.9 years longer than men. Men live on the average 76.2 years; women 81.1. Guess what guys? That testosterone, which makes us strut our stuff, act like idiots and have no common sense-it’s not that great either in helping us live longer. And by the way, having to hear your spouse tell you yet again that she is too tired or has a headache has not been shown to shorten a male’s lifetime. Note also that chowing down on those chips and salsa for the two plus hours of the Niner’s game is probably not going to go in the plus column of healthy habits.

Talking about common sense, seeing a doctor on a regular basis seems like a good idea- right? Well, 27% of American men had not seen any doctor for over 12 months. For the women, this percentage drops almost in half to 14%

Going forward, 21% of men smoke, a habit which is almost guaranteed to cut your life short, while only 18% of women do. Is it because men are more risk takers? Or perhaps because men just ignore the risks, just as we ignore the risks of leaving the toilet seat up.

59% of men call themselves regular drinkers (which probably means a lot more than just an occasional drink or two.) Only 43% of women are in this category.

What these and other similar statistics suggest is what women have known all along: We might be needed to propagate the species, but in reality we’re not nearly as wise as women or as we think we are.

There are many behaviors which are not healthy. If you continue on with these behaviors, you will most likely suffer the consequences of getting sick sooner and not live as long.

Bottom line: Stop smoking. Drink sensibly. See your doctor regularly. And for you male readers, remember that you are no longer twenty something.