There is evidence that French men are taking their health more seriously.
Both the French health education committee's 'barometer' of public health (Comité français d'éducation pour la santé) and studies of the use of health services by employees suggest that the traditional male 'unconcern', as Le Monde describes it, is changing. Indeed, says the paper, 'LES HOMMES s'occupent de leur santé' (men are taking care of their health - their caps).
Meanwhile, according to the French National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED) the gap in life-expectancy between men and women which deepened during the last 30 years, is now narrowing. Women live on average seven years longer than their male peers says the INED their study "Life expectancy: a female benefit at stake?" but men now smoke and drink less than before and take better care of their bodies. The fact that men and women's behaviour is increasingly similar has played a major role in decreasing the differences in life expectancies between the sexes.
Click here for the full Le Monde article (in French)
Click here to download the INED survey (PDF in French)
