"There's been a lot of research into the decline in life expectancy in recent years, but no one has systematically analyzed why the gap between men and women has been widening since 2010,"

Since 2010, what happened in 2010? Was that when they started prescribing oxy willy nilly, maybe. I think women took as much though, why would bring down the life expectancy just for men.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@startrek.website 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

100% with you on opioids being a leading cause.

To your 2nd point: in pretty much all drug abuse/addiction, men are more likely to abuse or become dependent, and they tend to use higher amounts on average.

[–] PeleSpirit@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

To your 2nd point: in pretty much all drug abuse/addiction, men are more likely to abuse or become dependent, and they tend to use higher amounts on average.

Well, that's not great. Do we know why? If it's the higher amounts part (and I suspect it is), just knowing that would maybe curb some from not taking so much. That seems like something that should be more well known. I guess it could be chemical make up too, there's got to be studies.

[–] The_Picard_Maneuver@startrek.website 19 points 2 years ago

It's likely a combination of things, but two of the biggest are:

Men on average isolate more, keep smaller (sometimes non-existent) social circles, and are less likely to reach out to others for support when they do have friends/family. Isolation is highly correlated with substance abuse of all kinds.
Men are on average the higher risk takers. Be it nature or nurture, men disproportionately push safety boundaries for just about anything humans do, which results in high usage of drugs, higher overdose deaths, higher rates of severe accidents, etc.

[–] MsPenguinette@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago

I feel like older men haven't internalized positive masculinity as much as younger men, so i wouldn't be suprised if men of a certain generation are driving down life expectancy because they self medicate at an even higher rate than women of that age group.

Clarification: Reason I say its older men is cause I'm picturing it being life expectancy, so older men doing worse things to their body kills them earlier. Also, we still have a long way to go with men and not saying younger women and younger men will not still have a disparity on unhealthy/destructive behaviors

[–] gens@programming.dev 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Something happened in 2008

[–] RickyRigatoni@lemmy.ml 8 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Don't you DARE blame this on Obama.

[–] Womble@lemmy.world 20 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I think the financial crisis and the resultant decade of falling living standards for the poor and lower middle are probably more of a factor than Obama's election there.

[–] Bgugi@lemmy.world 0 points 2 years ago

Thanks Obama!