June is Men’s Health Month

As you may or may not realize, June is Men’s Health Month. Why do we have a Men’s Health Month you might ask? Its purpose is simple; “to promote the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.” As a man, husband, father, grandfather (you get the picture), I’ve come to realize that I’m no longer indestructible, actually I’ve come to realize that I’ve never been indestructible, but that realization has also made me conscious of the fact that as a husband, father, etc. I have a responsibility to my health and well-being for my family, and for myself. Men’s Health awareness is important for these simple facts:

1. American men live with more illness and die younger than American women (Dr. David Gremillion)
2. Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths. (BLS) In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost five years earlier than women. (CDC)
3. Men suffer hearing loss at 2x the rate of women.
4. Testosterone is linked to elevations of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and declines in HDL, the good cholesterol.
5. Men have fewer infection-fighting T-cells and are thought to have weaker immune systems than women.
6. By the age of 100, women outnumber men eight to one. (NYT Magazine 3-16-03)
7. Depression & Suicide:

Depression in men is undiagnosed contributing to the fact that men are 4 x as likely to commit suicide. Among 15- to 19-year-olds, boys were 4 x as likely as girls to commit suicide. Among 20- to 24-year-olds, males were 6 x as likely to commit suicide as females. The suicide rate for persons age 65 and above: men…28.5 – women…3.9.

Top Causes of Death (www.menshealthnetwork.org)

Perhaps the biggest problem of all for men is this published by the CDC in 2001:

“Women are 100% more likely to visit the doctor for annual examinations and preventive services than men.” It would seem the biggest problem of all is how men take care of themselves. We need to do a better job, if only for our loved ones, and the people who count on us. We all know what we need to do, let’s do it!

1. Get an annual physical
2. Exercise daily
3. Eat a healthy well balanced diet
4. Find/discover activities you enjoy, and DO THEM!
5. Meditate
6. Take time for yourself

Here is a website with book recommendations for Men’s Health (http://www.blueprintformenshealth.com)

Live well, and enjoy your family, friends, and your life!

Salute’

By Jim Reiser M.A. MFTI