Are men healthier than women

A. No. In fact, the Government is so worried about the state of men's health in this country that it has set up a working group to examine the problem.

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Q. What's wrong with men's health
A. For a start, death rates from heart disease are around five times higher in men than in women, and high blood pressure is twice as common. The life expectancy of the average British male is now 74, while for women it is 79, and in poorer people that drops to 71 years for men and 78 for women.

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Q. So men aren't having a good time of it, physically
A. No, but even more shocking are statistics which relate to mental health. The number of men who commit suicide has gone up 50% in the last 20 years. Men aged 15-34 are four times more likely than women of the same age to kill themselves - around 1,500 every year.

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Q. Why should there be such a difference between men and women
A. Experts believe that part of the problem is that many men don't seem to address symptoms before they develop into serious health problems. Research has shown that of those who visit doctors' surgeries, 60% are women and only 40% are men.

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Q. But there are magazines devoted to men's health - aren't they supposed to be more aware these days
A. Yes, but the sight of all those bulging biceps on the covers may be causing even more problems.

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Q. Why
A. The overload of male pin-ups in magazines and advertising is making men feel inferior and uncomfortable about their bodies, according to research presented to the British Psychological Society's annual conference at the end of last year. There has been a parallel increase in men with eating disorders and psychological problems based on image identity.

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Q. So rather than inspiring them to lose the beer belly, images of the perfect body just make men feel inadequate
A. This is possible. About half the men interviewed said that they felt under pressure and that it was unfair because no matter how much time they spent in the gym, they'd never be able to achieve the sort of body sported by male models.

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By Sheena Miller