All over the world, men consistently have a lower life expectancy than women, but the exact discrepancy varies significantly from country to country. For example, women live an average of three years longer than men in the UK, but five years longer in the USA.
What does this mean? It means that life expectancy is not a biological inevitability and that social factors play a big role.
Here are the top three health habits to put into practice.
Healthy Habit #1: Take Action
Research from Men’s Health Forum indicates that men are half as likely to visit the doctor than women, leading to some disturbing health trends:
Compared to women, men are:
- Less likely to go for check-ups
- Less likely to report symptoms
- Less likely to perform self-checks
What this means is that, compared to women, men are:
- More likely to self-medicate
- More likely to die from stroke and heart disease
- More likely to be diagnosed with depression
- More likely to commit suicide
What to do: Remind yourself that talking to a doctor when something doesn’t feel right is the best way to maintain your optimal strength and vitality. It’s a mark of strength, to be honest with yourself about how you’re feeling, and it takes courage to ask for support. Our doctors are caring, supportive, nonjudgmental, and available for same-day appointments, so there is literally nothing to wait for.
Healthy Habit #2: Get It Before It Gets You
When it comes to quality of life and longevity, preventative care is your best friend. This means a regular trip to the doctor for routine testing even when you don’t have any symptoms. Having a doctor look over your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and vitamin levels can help you get an idea of any potential health risks long before they become a problem. For some people, they live with certain symptoms for so long that they start to accept feeling sub-par as a normal thing. A trip to the doctor can help you make surprising leaps in your quality of life. What’s not to love?
What to do: Can you remember the last time you went for a check-up? If not, it’s definitely time to make that appointment. Same deal if you haven’t been to the doctor in more than a year. We offer health screening tailored specifically to men’s needs, and you can ask to be seen by a male doctor if you prefer. Check out our Wellman Examinations for more information.
Healthy Habit #3: Talking about Depression
Men are less likely than women to be diagnosed with depression, but this is because they tend not to seek help. In fact, the highest suicide rates in 2017 were for men aged 45-49, and roughly three-quarters of all suicides in the UK were male.
Research by the European Commission has shown a negative correlation between the perception of masculine behaviour and the tendency to seek help for health concerns.
In other words, masculine stereotypes contribute towards men feeling that asking for support is a behaviour that is better suited to women and that a “real man” doesn’t need help.
Depression causes severe emotional symptoms, but it does not necessarily have an emotional cause. Hormone levels, the health of your blood, nutrition, and underlying conditions such as diabetes can all take their toll on your emotional wellbeing, in addition to life events and circumstances.
What to do: Your emotional well-being matters. If you are experiencing changes in your sleeping or eating patterns, feeling hopeless, or running low on energy, come in and speak to a doctor about how you’re feeling. We can run tests to make sure that you are in good shape physiologically, and if necessary, discuss options for counselling or medication. There are plenty of options, so please do give us a call.
