wheelock talk on men’s health studies

Men’s Health Studies:

A Mish Mash

A combination of biology,anthropology,sociology

and psychology…….

And

marketing

Men’s Health is a consumer item

Sex….the juicier, the better

Strength……..muscle ( all types important to men)

Fitness …6 pack

Style…. Exciting stuff and risky sports

And of course: What women want??

What should we really be talking about?

LIST YOUR 3 BIGGEST HEALTH CONCERNS

Which is our most important cause of death?

What behavior causes most health issues other than cardiovascular factors?

Who is more depressed men or women?

Why?

Is this a fair question?

Illnesses risk behavior

Heart disease Stroke Hypertension Cancers:lung, colon,

prostate Testicular cancer Mental health Relationships Sexual health/ STIs Self-report sickness

Unsafe sex Smoking Weight control Exercise Inactivity Alcohol consumption Trauma, violence Monitoring B.P., glucose,

diet, cholesterol

Men’s Concept of health

Men view the term (health) as a means to an end. If our body functions, what will we use it for?

Young men view health in terms of physical strength and fitness

Young women view health in terms of energy, vitality and coping.

At all ages, men answer with less detail, and with less support and bond formation

Preventive strategy

Less booze------< 2 units per day

More activity and diet control No smoking More and healthier relationships

Better mating strategy ( not only hooking up) Less risky behavior Prevention Physician visits

Golden rules

1) don’t smoke

2) exercise moderately—30 mins. Daily, will boost cardiac function, decrease weight, LDLs and blood glucose

3) Eat heart healthy less butter and most margarinesLess red meat and fat sources from animalsMore beans , vegetable and fruit sourcesMore whole grains and fiber

Last 2 rules

4) weight control to decrease diabetes and hypertension

Enjoy people, family and relationships

A measure of our problems

Longevity gap = 5-8 years

At all ages male mortality > women

Our risks are higher,due to our testosterone level

Impact on CVD disease and behavior

Rate of alcohol abuse Rate of alcohol

dependence Aging poorly > 15 yrs.

Chronic illness Sexual responsibility Trauma men (16-34 yrs.

Have 2X more accidents than women

Suicide age strata

A bit about nutrition

More veggies More whole grains More fruit Protein from non animal products Fish? soy/? alcohol

Fitness

Cardiorespiratory endurance

Muscular strength Muscular endurance Flexibility Body composition

Is it cosmetic or health related?

Morbidity or mortality?

66-80% Americans don’t exercise

30 mins./day on 3 days/week a minimum

ACSM basics for cardio

Frequency 3-5 X/ week Intensity –raise Heart rate 55-90% Duration 20-60 minutes/day Mode of activity (large muscle groups) Progression from initial- improvement to

maintenance

Strongest predictors of healthy aging and early or late mortality

Alcoholism

Drinking (excess), smoking, lack of meaningful and productive relationships shorten life.

Perils of booze

Genetics predicts poor health only if had early deaths

Otherwise………

Predictive factors were personal---weight,booze,exercise,social contacts and COPING strategy

Tenets of successful aging

Enjoys life Open to new ideas Helps others Graceful about dependency Humor Accepts what has been

Healthy defenses

Warm marriage No alcohol abuse Not heavy smoker Not over weight Mature defenses Some exercise

Most important are Alcohol Smoking exercise

Sum it up

Screening Prevention Measure shortcomings A man’s idea of health True health or simply extended morbidity Risk taking Do better