GS Paper - II
The Top 50 Oldest Living People in the world today are all women. Ranging from Tomiko Itooka, 116 years (Japan) to Agnes Brostom, 112 years (Sweden). There are many explanations why women outlive men — from the profoundly scientific to the perfectly silly. Even the Oldest Living Male today, John Tinniswood of the UK— 112 years this August — is relatively a youngster compared to the 50 women older than him.
What
- In today’s world where female infanticide still prevails, and women battle for survival and success, being born male may have its advantages. But longevity is apparently not one of them.
- And that’s true now, as it was centuries ago, when life expectancy at birth was 33 years for women and 31 years for men.
- Today, the highest number is in Hong Kong: averaging 83.5 years for women, and 79.5 years for men.
The X factor
- The genetic reason is women and their X factor. Females have two X chromosomes while males have an X and a Y.
- The extra X in women has a protective effect against harmful mutations, greater immunity to disease and this contributes to their longer lives.
- Gender experts also point out that women don’t do half the ridiculously dumb things men do, to shorten their life spans.
- Men smoke, drink, and do drugs three times more than women. They take crazier risks with poisonous stingrays, motorcycle dares and hang from cliffs taking selfies for Instagram.
