Globally, men die on average 5 years earlier than women for reasons that are largely preventable. It doesn’t have to be this way: we can all take action to help men live healthier, happier, and longer lives.
The Men’s Health Network (MHN) reports that men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death, which are:
- heart disease – including cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction (heart attack), high blood pressure;
- cancer – especially prostate, bladder, and lung cancers;
- stroke – blood clot or bleeding in the brain;
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
- accidents;
- pneumonia and influenza;
- diabetes;
- suicide;
- kidney disease; and
- chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis.
According to the official Movember website, Movember began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 when two friends met up for drinks and thought up the idea. They recruited 28 other men in Australia who agreed to grow out their mustaches. Their intent quickly changed to intent to raise money for men’s health charities and they then started their own.
Movember focuses on promoting to all people:
- Men’s mental health – including suicide prevention;
- Men’s physical health – through exercise programmes, testicle checking, and prostate cancer awareness.
Simple things you can do to support men’s health at all times of the year include:
- Encouraging your male friends, family members, or colleagues to exercise – this can be verbal encouragement, providing incentives, or even joining in with them;
- Remind your significant others to regularly check their blood pressure, blood sugar, testicles, and prostate;
- Promote good mental health by creating social groups and activities;
- Be aware of the signs of mental illness; offer supportive empathetic listening when you are able, and signpost men to appropriate and accessible support services;
- Assist in de-stigmatising mental health and help to reduce suicide by opening healthy conversations about men’s mental health; be a role model for good mental health and resilience when you can.
For more information on men’s health, you can visit:
https://uk.movember.com
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/mens-health/
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/your-stories/man-up-getting-more-men-in-mental-health/
Author: Dr Becky Lunson Southall, Content Contributor at InsideOut
