Answer to Question 1
Life expectancy for men in the United States is almost 5 years lower than for women. For years it had been assumed that the difference is based on biology, but we are learning that most likely the gender gap is related to lifestyle behaviors most commonly observed in men. Around 1980, the gender gap in life expectancy was almost 8 years. The decrease in the gender gap is thought to be due to the fact that women are increasingly taking on jobs, habits, and stressors of men including drinking and employment outside the home.
Answer to Question 2
Our bodies are simply not designed for extended periods of sitting. As we sink into inactivity, our biological processes begin to change, down to a cellular and molecular level. Researchers are only beginning to understand all of the factors at work, but studies show, for example, that blood flow becomes sluggish and is more likely to form life-threatening clots in the lungs and legs. Slower blood flow also means less oxygen and glucose delivered to the brain and body, and as a result cognitive function declines and the feeling of fatigue increases. An act as simple as standing several times throughout the day can keep abdominal, gluteus, and other antigravity muscles working. Additionally, during extended sitting, cells in idle muscles don't respond to insulin (including skeletal muscles, which are responsible for 80 percent of glucose disposal during activity); thus, insulin resistance increases along with the accompanying risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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