Women and men may not benefit equally from healthy lifestyle habits, according to a new study by researchers at UCLouvain.
Exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are widely recommended to improve health. However, a new study conducted by researchers at UCLouvain suggests that these habits may not have the same effects on women and men.
Published in the scientific journal Social Science & Medicine, the research was carried out by Professor Sandy Tubeuf and PhD researcher Alexia Bigorne. It examined how lifestyle choices and socioeconomic backgrounds are associated with health outcomes among men and women.
The researchers analysed data from the European Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), which collects information on the health and living conditions of people aged 50 and over across 12 European countries.
Their findings suggest that, even when comparing individuals with similar circumstances, including age, country of residence and childhood family background, the relationship between healthy habits and overall health differs between genders.
Women may benefit more from physical activity
One of the study's main findings concerns the different effects of exercise and diet. According to UCLouvain, insufficient physical activity is associated with a greater deterioration in health among men, while low consumption of fruit and vegetables has a more negative impact on women.
The researchers interpret these differences as suggesting that, for comparable levels of effort, women may gain greater health benefits from physical activity, while men may benefit more from eating fruit and vegetables.
The findings are consistent with other recent research. A separate study published in 2025 found that women could achieve a reduction in their risk of coronary heart disease comparable to that of men while spending less time exercising.
Beyond exercise and diet, the researchers found that socioeconomic circumstances are closely associated with health outcomes, particularly among women.
For women, the socioeconomic environment in which they grew up emerged as the leading factor contributing to differences in health status. Among men, the frequency of physical activity was the most significant factor.
These findings highlight how health inequalities can be linked not only to individual lifestyle choices but also to circumstances experienced much earlier in life.
The researchers suggest that public health prevention strategies could benefit from taking gender differences into account rather than relying exclusively on the same recommendations for everyone.
