Men's Health

Top Ten Killers	Top 10 Health Tips
•    Heart disease	•    Quit smoking
•    Smoking-related lung disease	•    Go easy on the booze
•    Stroke	•    Maintain a healthy weight
•    Prostate cancer	•    Keep active and exercise regularly
•    Bowel cancer	•    Eat a balanced and healthy diet
•    Suicide	•    Have an annual health check
•    Diabetes	•    Protect yourself from the sun
•    Pneumonia and the flu	•    Practice safe sex
•    Car accidents	•    Enjoy family and friends and take time out for yourself
•    Dementia	•    Drive safely

Let’s face it men are known to be more indifferent towards their health, especially when compared to the efforts of women, who proactively and publicly address their health issues in a way not traditionally seen with men. As a result, today the levels of awareness, understanding and funding for support of male health issues, like prostate cancer and depression in men, lag significantly behind women’s causes such as breast cancer.

The reasons for the poor state of men’s health in Australia and around the world are numerous and complex and this is primarily due to a lack of awareness of the health issues men face. This can largely be attributed to the reluctance of men openly discussing the subject due to longstanding traditions, coupled with an ‘it’ll be alright’ attitude. Men are less likely to schedule doctors’ appointments when they feel ill or for an annual physical, thereby denying them the chance of early detection and effective treatment of common diseases.



What are you scared of?
As a rule, men still access health services less frequently than women and when they do visit the doctor, they typically present late, thereby denying themselves the chance of early detection and treatment of common diseases. Recent studies show that many men don’t get regular health checks because they:

Statistics show that, on average, men die at a younger age than women – the average life expectancy for men is five years less than women (presently 77 compared to 82). That said, despite trailing the women’s health movement, things are beginning to change, but much more progress needs to be made to close the gap between the state of men and women’s health.  Established taboos and barriers relating to men’s health are gradually being broken down.

Movember aims to change the face of men’s health and reverse this way of thinking by putting a fun twist on this serious issue. Using the moustache as a catalyst, we want to bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to talk about their health more openly.



Movember's primary campaign objective is to raise awareness of men's health issues, specifically cancers affecting men and depression in men.




It’s not all bad news! Maintaining a good diet, smart lifestyle choices and getting regular medical check-ups and screening tests can dramatically influence your health. Regardless of age, stay on top of your game by doing the following:

HAVE AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL.
Find a doctor and make a yearly appointment each Movember for a general health check.  Getting annual checkups, preventative screening tests, and immunisations are among the most important things you can do to stay healthy.

DON’T SMOKE!
If you do smoke, stop! Compared to non-smokers, men who smoke are about 23 times more likely to develop lung cancer.  Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancer death in men.

BE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE.
If you are not already doing some form of exercise, start small and work up to a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

EAT A HEART HEALTHY DIET.
Fill up with fruits, vegetables, whole grains; include lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and eat foods low in saturated fats, trans-fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

STAY AT A HEALTHY WEIGHT.
Balance calories from foods and beverages with calories you burn off through physical activities.

MANAGE YOUR STRESS. 
Stress, particularly long-term stress, can be a significant factor in the onset or worsening of ill health. Managing your stress is essential to your health and well-being and should be practiced daily.

DRINK ALCOHOL IN MODERATION. 
Alcohol can be part of a healthy balanced diet, but only if it’s in moderation, which means no more than two drinks a day.

KNOW YOUR FAMILY HEALTH HISTORY.
Start a discussion with your relatives about the health issues they’ve had in the past. Be sure to learn about relatives that are deceased too. 





Download Men's Health Poster to see which screening tests and procedures you should discuss with your doctor.