Men’s Health Blog:
International Men’s Health Week was from June 14th to 20th. Our Williamstown Health & Lifestyle team of allied health professionals are passionate about health and wellbeing and want to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of men’s physical and mental wellbeing.
It helps to create awareness about what factors are contributing to some concerning figures surrounding men’s health, and more importantly identify what can we do to fix it?
Statistics show that men have a shorter life expectancy than females by an average of 4.4 years, with links to three main causes: suicide, motor vehicle accidents and disease.
It has been proven that men suffer more long-term illnesses including increased rates of cardiovascular disease, liver disease and diabetes (1).
Studies have also shown inactive men are 60% more likely to suffer from depression, with suicide the leading cause of death for Australian’s between 15-44 years old, as males 4x more likely to take their own lives than females (2).
While that makes for some morbid reading, there is some hope to come from this. Majority of those stats are influenced by our own lifestyle and decisions we make.
Only 30% of a man’s health is determined by his genetics, which leaves 70% up to the individual and their own lifestyle to positively influence their health (1). This includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and accessible social support networks.
This week aims to provoke conversations to help break down the stigmas of men suffering in silence. No longer can we blame poor awareness or limited resources. Check-in on your brother, father or mate and ask if they are ok? Your conversation could be the reason they do not become another statistic.
References:
- Why Men’s Health? [Internet]. Menshealthweek.org.au. 2021. Available from: https://www.menshealthweek.org.au/health-info/why-men-s-health
- Kick a ball or cook a snag, but be sure to talk to your mates. It’s Men’s Health Week [Internet]. Abc.net.au. 2021. Available from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-15/mens-health-week-brings-social-connections-into-focus/100213940
