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ISTANBUL, Turkey / Today's Zaman Daily / January 28, 2009
İSA YAZAR ANKARA
Turkey’s elderly population consists mainly of women, census figures recently released by the Turkish Statistics Institute (TurkStat) have shown.
There are 285,100 more females than males in Turkey, and the male population declines more rapidly with age. The number of women above the age of 90 is three times higher than that of men in the same age group. Thus, out of 60,176 people above 90, 44,446 are women and 15,730 are men. In the 85-89 age group, there are 116,145 women compared to 59,076 men.
The size of the male and female populations is roughly equal until the age of 50, after which women start to gain the advantage. For instance, in the 50-54 age group, the number of men is 1,824,000 while that of women is 1,818,000. However, there are 213,000 men and 336,000 women in the 80-84 age group, which serves as proof for the widespread belief that women outlive men.
Experts explain this incongruity between the lifespans of women and men by saying that men face greater risks than women. According to Health Ministry statistics, men are more susceptible to coronary diseases than women. These diseases, accounting for 43 percent of deaths, are common in men above 40, who have increased vulnerability if they smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol. It is also noted that men are subject to business-related stress and risk at greater rates than women. Yet, the birth rate for males is higher than for females. The number of males in the age group 0-4 is 3,082,000 while that of females is 2,915,000, a difference of 167,000.
What should men do to live longer?
* Keep their weight in a healthy range, especially after middle age;
* Avoid smoking and alcohol;
* Engage in hobbies to relieve business-related stress; and
* Consume a healthy diet, especially when performing exhausting work.
© Feza Gazetecilik A.Ş. 2007
There are 285,100 more females than males in Turkey, and the male population declines more rapidly with age. The number of women above the age of 90 is three times higher than that of men in the same age group. Thus, out of 60,176 people above 90, 44,446 are women and 15,730 are men. In the 85-89 age group, there are 116,145 women compared to 59,076 men.
The size of the male and female populations is roughly equal until the age of 50, after which women start to gain the advantage. For instance, in the 50-54 age group, the number of men is 1,824,000 while that of women is 1,818,000. However, there are 213,000 men and 336,000 women in the 80-84 age group, which serves as proof for the widespread belief that women outlive men.
Experts explain this incongruity between the lifespans of women and men by saying that men face greater risks than women. According to Health Ministry statistics, men are more susceptible to coronary diseases than women. These diseases, accounting for 43 percent of deaths, are common in men above 40, who have increased vulnerability if they smoke cigarettes and consume alcohol. It is also noted that men are subject to business-related stress and risk at greater rates than women. Yet, the birth rate for males is higher than for females. The number of males in the age group 0-4 is 3,082,000 while that of females is 2,915,000, a difference of 167,000.
What should men do to live longer?
* Keep their weight in a healthy range, especially after middle age;
* Avoid smoking and alcohol;
* Engage in hobbies to relieve business-related stress; and
* Consume a healthy diet, especially when performing exhausting work.
© Feza Gazetecilik A.Ş. 2007
