The statistics regarding men’s health in the UK are shocking, to say the least. As reported by the Men’s Health Forum, 67% are either overweight or obese. Furthermore, one out of every five men dies before the age of 65 probably because they are more likely to:
- Eat too much red meat and salt
- Smoke a lot
- Drink to dangerous levels due to which they have twice the chances of having liver disease as compared to women
- Consume very little amount of vegetables and fruits.
In addition to all these factors, men are also found to be reluctant to visit the doctor until there is something very serious due to which they can develop certain illnesses and not know about them. This is why men are ahead of women in 14 out of 15 leading causes of death – the only exception is Alzheimer’s disease.
In addition to biological factors, men’s approach towards their health plays a major role in the overall poor health of men as compared to women. According to the Editor in Chief of the American Journal of Men’s Health, “men put their health last. Most men consider themselves as healthy if they are able to live up to their roles in society.”
Many of the threats to men’s health can be prevented with little care and change of attitude. Some of the major health threats that men face are:
- Cardiovascular Disease – the greatest threat to men’s health due to obesity and high blood pressure. Losing weight can help to prevent this.
- Lung Cancer
- Prostate Cancer
- Depression and Suicide – it may seem unlikely, but the rate of suicide in men is greatly higher than women; four out of five people who commit suicide are men.
- Diabetes
- Erectile Dysfunction – A problem that may occur due to atherosclerosis and/or low testosterone levels. Low levels of testosterone can cause many other problems as well, such as increased body fat, loss of muscle mass, hair loss, fatigue, mood changes, decreased bone mass, sleep-related issues, and emotional changes. Fortunately, testosterone supplements are available that are really helpful in boosting the hormone level and bring it back to normal.
- Rectal and colon cancer
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases
- Throat cancer
- Stroke
- Substance abuse, especially alcohol
- Obesity
- Accidents and other unintentional injuries.
- HIV and AIDS
To sum up, when it comes to health issues, the stakes are too high for men and the solution lies in changing lifestyles and habits and becoming proactive about health.
Although it can be scary to address a health issue, it can be deadly to ignore or avoid it. In addition to visiting doctor for regular checkups, it’s highly important to increase awareness about health, hygiene, and unhealthy habits and lifestyles.
Tags: healthy male, men
