Men’s Health Week: Key facts and figures

This week is the International Men’s Health which seeks to increase the awareness of health issues that affect men and boys.

According to the Men’s Health Forum, the week is also a time to make men aware of the health problems they may have or develop.

During the week, taking steps to prevent diseases, early detection and treatment of disease is encouraged.

This year’s theme for International Men’s Health focuses on men’s health by numbers. The week began on June 10th and will continue till June 16th, which is Father’s Day.

The key numbers for men are:
37: A waist size of 37 inches or above puts you at increased of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.
150: Men should aim for 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week.
5: We should aim to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day.
14: Maximum of 14 units of alcohol a week.
10: Cigarette smokers die 10 years younger on average than non-smokers.
120/80: Normal blood pressure.
75 – 75% of suicides (3 out of 4) are by men.

Key numbers for policy-makers and service providers are:
One of five men die before the age of 65
Two of five men die before the age of 75
Three out of four suicides are by men
Men doing unskilled work are three times more likely to take their own lives than men in senior management

The richest men live on average 10 years longer than the least well-off men.

Five diseases men should watch out for include prostate cancer, heart disease, cirrhosis, Parkinson’s disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).