Just like it was Women’s Health Week last month, men have their week, Men’s Health Week, this week, from June 11th to June 17th (it ends on Father’s Day every year, just like Women’s Health Week ends on Mother’s Day). The purpose of this week is to promote awareness on health issues boys, men, and their families may face, messages on disease prevention, education materials, screening information, and more. And on Friday, all are encouraged to wear blue to recognize this week.
Some of the messages this week campaigns about:
- Prostate Cancer: Statistics say that one in seven men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Those who have an increased risk of it are African American men, those with a family history, and those who were exposed to Agent Orange (menshealthnetwork.org, n.d). But whether or not you are fall under one of the “increased risk” categories, all men should be screened regularly since early detection is key to better outcomes.
- Did you know that obese men have more complications and have higher mortality rates from obesity than women? Nutrition plays a huge factor in maintaining a healthy weight. It is recommended to cut back on red meat, stick to foods that have few ingredients (usually meaning it is less processed), increase whole grains to take in more fiber, and eat at least one fruit and vegetable with each meal. Exercise also plays an important role in thwarting obesity. More information can be found here: http://www.menshealthresourcecenter.com/articles/nutrition/
- Heart health. Over 39 million men have heart disease, and about 400,000 die from it—more than cancer and diabetes put together (mensheatlhresourcecenter.com).
For more information on these topics, as well as other topics that fall under Men’s Health Week and overall health in general, please visit menshealthnetwork.org and menshealthresourcecenter.com.
Featured image by Halfpoint – stock.adobe.com
References:
Men’s Health Resource Center (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.menshealthresourcecenter.com/
Prostate Cancer Facts. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.menshealthnetwork.org/library/prostatecancerfacts.pdf