The national statistics agency DREES published its sixth annual national health report on Thursday, with the sprawling 500-page dossier's authors praising the "overall good health" of the French, especially compared to other developed countries.

 

However here are the five most glaring discrepancies in the country's health, according to French newspaper Le Figaro. 

 

Men and women's life expectancy

 

Men in France have a life expectancy of 79.2 years, compared to 85.4 years for women. That's a difference of over six years. While this might sound like a lot, the gap is decreasing. Back in 1994 it was 8.2 years, and 7.1 years in 2003. French women die more from cancer than cardio-vascular problems, while it's the other way around for men.

 

Daily alcohol consumption

 

Eighteen percent of Frenchmen, that's almost one in five, drink alcohol every single day. That's compared to just six percent of French women – or around one in twenty. This figure, the report noted, is about half as bad as it was 20 years ago. 

 

The regions where people drink the most often are Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Pays de la Loire, Midi-Pyrénées and Languedoc-Roussillon, while those drinking the least can be found in Haute-Normandie, Ile-de-France and Lorraine.

 

(Photo: Paul Tridon/Flickr)

 

 

Adult exercise 

 

While 40 percent of adults say they play sport for at least ten minutes a week, it appears that a good salary directly relates to more physical activity. Around 54 percent of managers and professional workers says that they regularly exercise, compared to 27 percent of unskilled workers. 

 

(Photo: Tarnie/Flickr)

 

Children's dental hygiene

 

Parents with good jobs have kids with better teeth, the report noted. Over half (53 percent) of working class parents with children aged 10-11 will have had to deal with at least one decayed tooth. Only 26 percent of kids with parents in senior roles have had similar dental problems. 

 

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