This month, the UK government is launching a consultation for its Men’s Health Strategy. This is a long-overdue move as men are 60% more likely to die prematurely than women and live on average four years less.
Men are more likely to smoke, drink heavily, and have high blood pressure or cholesterol – all major contributors to early death.
But experts like Mark Brooks (policy adviser for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Men’s and Boy’s Issues) and Prof Alan White (co-founded Men’s Health Forum charity and set up men’s health centre at Leeds Beckett University) say the issue is about more than lifestyle.
Social pressures, such as the need to appear ‘strong’ or ‘resilient’, mean many men avoid seeking help. Mental health is a major concern with men making up three-quarters of suicides, but only a third of therapy referrals.
NHS health checks are underused with fewer than 4 in 10 men attending. Some fear what a diagnosis might mean for work while others simply don’t have the time for a check-up.
Community projects like Men’s Sheds help men connect and support each other while doing practical projects. A national strategy could help redesign services that meet men where they are – at work, in the community, and in ways they feel comfortable accessing.
Here are 4 simple things you can try today:
- Get moving – go for a walk, swim, run, cycle or play golf
- Meet up with friends – or join a group (book club? sport? pub quiz? music?). What a ‘boys trip’ away? It doesn’t have to be expensive
- Say yes to health checks – and take every chance to screen early (blood pressure, diabetes, PSA etc)
- Practice problem-solving – and tell people if you are down – to protect mental health.
