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Supporting Men’s Health Awareness Month
The Movember initiative is dedicated to promoting Men’s Health – male cancers, mental health and suicide prevention. To raise awareness, we want to open a dialogue to share the statistics and what actions can be taken from today…
What is Movember?
Launched back in 2003, the Movember Foundation is a fantastic initiative which takes place every November to open a broader dialogue about men’s health issues. When it comes to health, men don’t talk nor take action and evidence reveals that as a result, men die too young – something which can be absolutely prevented when the right steps are taken.
By raising awareness, stigmas can be broken down and encourage men to take their health seriously. By 2030, the charity aim to reduce the number of men dying prematurely by 25%.
This Movember 2020, the themes are:
- Prostate and testicular cancer – encourage men to be aware, get checked and to improve the life of those with cancer
- Physical inactivity – encourage men to exercise more
- Poor mental health – to reduce the stigma associated with men’s mental health problems so they feel confident in talking about their experiences and seeking help when necessary
What do the statistics say?
In the UK, average life expectancy for men is nearly four years less than women and a large variety of factors are at play…
Cancer
Whether it’s through exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos, smoke or through genetics – many men face the increased risk of cancer.
Men are 37% more likely to die from cancer than women. While some of this is to do with male-specific cancers such as prostate and testicular versus the cancers that mainly affect women, evidence shows it can be primarily blamed on poor awareness and a late presentation of symptoms to doctors.
The best action to take when it comes to male cancers is when it comes to turning 50, talk to your doctor about prostate cancer and whether it’s suitable for you to have the PSA test. If you’re black, have a father or brother with prostate cancer, you should be having this conversation at 45. Know your numbers, know your risk and talk to your doctor.
Physical Inactivity
Whatever your age and gender, physical activity plays an important part in your health and wellbeing.
Physical activity is necessary to stimulate the body’s own natural maintenance and repair system. Your bones, joints, muscles and especially your heart will stay younger if you keep them busy. By choosing not be active, you increase your chances of suffering from the following health conditions: heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, breathlessness, overweight, little energy, stiff joints, osteoporosis and poor posture.
Living through a challenging 2020 means yes, we struggle for time as everything is very much go-go-go; but if Covid 19 has taught us anything, its taught us to sit back, appreciate what we have and what life really means: for us and our loved ones to be happy and healthy. So… here are our top tips on how to move, more:
- Exercise during your lunch break
- Take a walking meeting
- Park your car further away from your final destination
- Get off public transport a couple of stops earlier than you usually would
- Choose the stairs, not the lift
- Cycle 3 times a week instead of walk
- Meet your friend for a walk over a lunch
- Start up a sport you used to love as a child
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Mental Health
The third theme of Movember 2020 is mental health. As aforementioned, men have a tendency to not reach out to others for their physical and mental health problems.
In the UK, 1 in 4 men suffer from mental health problems. Suicide is the leading cause of death in men aged 20-34 with men making up 75%of all suicides in the UK. The reasons can be societal, cultural or psychological but regardless, it needs to stop. One way to change is to open up conversation, break down stigmas and to encourage men to reach out.
Whether it’s talking with a loved one, a GP or even giving a helpline a call, reaching out to someone to talk about your problems starts off the process and can help you feel a whole lot better.
We need to talk, we need to listen.
What helplines and charities are available?
Plenty! One reason men don’t reached out to their loved ones when they’re struggling is due to embarassment but there are plenty of organisations who can help:
and Samaritans
Remember, give support and get support! If you find you’re not ready for one of the above resources, email us at customercare@id-medical.com and we will be on hand to simply listen, night or day.
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