18 HEALTHYFOODGUIDEJUNE 2019
MEN’SHEALTHREPORT
Doyouoftentakeyourhealthfor
granted?Ifyou’rea man,that’snot
unusual.JoWaterslooksathowmen
can reduce their risk of dying too youngS
HOCKINGLY, ONE IN FIVE UK MEN DIES
before they reach retirement age, and two
in five before the age of 75. Worldwide, men
are 50% more likely to die of cancer than women –
often because they don’t seek help early enough.
‘Men generally need to be dragged to their GP,
and it’s usually their partner who initiates the
appointment,’ says GP Dr David Edwards, past
president of the British Society of Sexual Medicine.
‘Some men will joke that they “never bother a
doctor”, but that’s not necessarily a good thing if
they’ve been ignoring symptoms.
‘Once men see a GP, though, I generally find
they’re not bad at following advice. There are so
many conditions where early diagnosis can make
a big difference, and many of them are interrelated- for instance, erectile dysfunction may be an early
warning of heart disease or type 2 diabetes or a
symptom of a hormone condition. It’s so important
that men come and see their doctors more regularly.’
All the more reason to take steps to safeguard our
health. Use this checklist as a starting point...