ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that women and men would be vulnerable to different health problems. There are other differences between women and men that could lead to gender differences in health: different kinds of work and stress, different behavioral norms and expectations, different life priorities, and different access to resources. It is impossible to make broad generalizations about the gendered patterns of specific diseases without paying attention to the impact of socio-economic development. Around the world, women are more likely than men to suffer from malnutrition. Women report higher levels of both chronic stress and minor daily stressors than do men; however, men and women report similar numbers of stressful life events. Compared to men, women may develop lung cancer with lower levels of smoking and are more likely to contract aggressive small cell lung cancer. Men's higher frequency of exercise may stem partly from gender stereotypes and norms that emphasize strength and activity for men more than for women.
