MEN’S HEALTH
This section is devoted to men’s health. You may ask why? Plain reason, I am a man. I deserve to know who I am, how healthy I am, I need to know how to take care of myself. So I read about the different aspects of man and his health. I read a survey that says that man tend to:
- Smoke and drink more than women, and generally lead less healthy lifestyles.
- Not seek medical help as often as women.
- Join in fearless, risky, and dangerous behaviors more often than women.
- Largely define themselves by their work, which can be stressful and lead to being disconnected from their emotional side. This can add to problems in relationships, as well as in jobs and careers.
In my opinion, I do not quite agree with the first statement as I observe more women smoking in the public, especially the younger generation. Nonetheless the impression is that older generation witness more men smoking than women, and it was thought to be the “cool” thing. Having said that, I have to agree with the other statements. It is true that men tend to disconnect themselves from the emotional side and engage more in professional and factual conversation. Work and career are defined as a form of dominance over the others and the opposite sex. The detachment from the emotional side can cause stressful working condition and affect family lives as well. It is quite often true that men do not seek medical help voluntarily until such time deparately necessary. Learning about men’s health and writing about it maybe my form of de-stressing, so I can look at my emotional and mental being. Well it may spur me into some exercise routine, hopefully :-)
The following are 10 known causes of men’s death and therefore men’s concern in relation to their health:
| All Races, Males |
Percent* |
| 1. Heart disease |
28.0 |
| 2. Cancer |
24.0 |
| 3. Unintentional injuries |
5.9 |
| 4. Stroke |
5.1 |
| 5. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease |
5.1 |
| 6. Diabetes |
2.9 |
| 7. Influenza and pneumonia |
2.4 |
| 8. Suicide |
2.1 |
| 9. Kidney disease |
1.7 |
| 10. Alzheimer’s disease |
1.5 |
(Taken from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Services - Current as of June 2007)
Looking at the statistic, it seems that almost 40% of the cause of death of man is related to heart and heart diseases. This is rather alarming and if there is any course for men to follow, I would suggest that we follow the heart, punch is indeed intended, as I am a man who follow my heart’s desire basically! On the more serious note, how do we take care of our hearts? It is a matter of the heart.
