Tow #18: Article: Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?
By: Laura Blue
TIME


        The topic that women live longer than men was recently brought to my attention last week during health class. Statistics show that women have a higher life expectancy than men as further proven in this article from TIME. The article was written by Laura Blue, and was addressed to Tom Perls, who answered the question answered in the text: "Why do women live longer than men?" The biggest reason is that women encounter diseases such as cardiovascular diseases and heart problems and stroke significantly later than men, around ten years later. It is believed that this is result of women being iron-deficient compared to men because of the menstrual cycle. Other reasons include circumstances dealing with X and Y chromosomes as well as a "testosterone storm". Finally, it is believed that men smoke a lot more than women, eat more food that leads to high cholesterol, and have a harder time dealing with stress than most women do. So what? Well, stress plays a very important role in cardiovascular disease. Throughout this article, Laura Blue/Tom Perls provide facts, examples, and analysis to prove why women may live longer than men. By using accurate reasoning the argument is better developed and easily understood by the audience. The audience may be students, like me, who are curious as to why women live longer than men. Or, the audience could be women themselves, or men. Majority of the article quoting Tom Perls, and by Laura Blue's strong introduction, the audience knows Tom Perls is a reliable source, hence appealing to ethos. (he is the founder of the New England Centenarian Study at Boston University as well as the created of the website LivingTo100.com). The facts that are given prove the reasoning behind cardiovascular disease, and the difference in men and women with their chromosomes. As a curious student researching this topic, I believe that Laura Blue and Tom Perls achieved their purpose and established their argument with logical and strong evidence.