An American study suggests that more women pay attention to their health and eating habit than men do. According to Experian Simmons Research, women are more likely to make healthier food choice, count calories and read nutritional information on food packaging.

The consumer watchdog interviewed men and women across the nation to determine which of the sexes was more likely to take control of their health. Experian found that 70 percent of women reported making healthy food choices, compared to just 59 percent of men. Women were found to be 52 percent more likely to count calories. As well, 63 percent of women claimed to strive for a more balanced diet compared to less than half the male population. Women were also nearly 40 percent more likely to pay attention to the ingredients in packaged foods.

There is significant evidence that on average women tend to out live men, and perhaps healthier food choices play a role in that statistic. Balanced diets are essential for reducing the risk of major health problems, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer. At the same time, the fact that more women are paying attention to calories and reading nutritional labels could point to fact that more women are likely to be concerned about body image than men.  Making healthy food choices could have as much to do with weight loss and maintenance as it does with overall health.