Wednesday, June 26, 2002

A manly approach to staying healthy

Keeping a man fit can be a challenge at times. Many men downplay or dismiss their aches, pains and negative feelings with a simple "it's nothing" or "I'm fine" when in fact they really are not.

I can remember taking my husband to the emergency room at 1 a.m. because he had been pacing the floor. Since it was not his habit to be awake past 10 p.m., I knew there was something wrong. But all he could tell me or any of the dozen medical staff that talked to him over the next 12 hours was "I feel bloated" or "I feel uncomfortable".

Less than 24 hours later, he was being taken to surgery: his appendix had ruptured at some point, and he was septic. The telltale signs were his raging fever and delirium ... certainly not anything he said about being in severe, agonizing pain!

I surmised from that experience that sometimes it is not so much that a male will not verbalize pain because of "machismo" (as many women may think): it is that they lack "feeling" vocabulary. No matter what the reason, the outcome is usually a negative one in the end.

By ignoring the body's call for help, minor problems go unchecked, in many situations, until they have become life threatening. Poor health effects not only the stricken individual, but their families and communities as well.

American men are living longer today than ever before. Around 1900, a man's life expectancy was only 48 years. Public health has played a significant role in increasing that life expectancy to nearly 74 years today. Though this increase represents miraculous improvement, men still die an average of 7 years earlier than females in America.

Male health concerns in Georgia

Male health concerns vary in relationship to age. Among adolescent males and younger men, vehicular accidents, homicides, suicides and infectious diseases (TB, HIV, STDs, etc.) are the leading causes of death, disability and disease. Older men are confronted with the problems of chronic diseases and other infectious diseases like flu, and pneumonia.

Let us look at some pertinent highlights of the men's health disparity issue.

Chronic health conditions are a major cause of death and disability for Georgia men. These conditions most often occur in later ages. Of particular concern are cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and arthritis. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among men in Georgia, accounting for about 34 percent of all male deaths.

Injury is another major cause of death among males between the ages of 18 and 44. Unintentional injury (i.e. motor vehicle crashes, sports accidents, etc.), and homicide/suicides impact younger males, particularly those who are more apt to take risks. Death from accidental falls is more prevalent among elderly males.

Poor health behavior choices such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and risky behavior are on the rise in Georgia, despite the best efforts of health-related entities to increase public awareness of their negative effects. These unhealthy lifestyle choices are significant factors in increasing a man's susceptibility for many chronic diseases (i.e. cancer, emphysema, hypertension, diabetes, etc).

Poor and/or late health care utilization is a major factor in the disparity in life expectancy between men and women. National research suggests that men do not use health care services as often or as early as women do.

So what can a fella do?

The first step in meeting any challenge is knowledge. One must first know that there is a problem, understand what its components are, and determine what the impact of the problem is on himself personally.

As an example, let us briefly examine diet. We know that regular consumption of foods high in calories and saturated fat, combined with inactivity, will eventually lead to weight gain.

The body is somewhat simple in the way it uses fuel. If you take in more calories (fuel) than you use up, the excess is stored (as fat) for a 'rainy day'. If your rainy day never comes (you routinely never engage in anything more strenuous than picking up the remote control after work), the body cannot put its stores to good use; and fat continues to build.

We know that obesity damages the body and inhibits normal organ/system function, which eventually leads to chronic disease.

Behavioral change is by no means an easy thing to accomplish, but it is critical to positively influencing men's health. Some ways to begin are:

Take time for physical exercise. This does not suggest going from zero exercise to joint-jarring aerobics overnight. Start simple: take a 15-minute walk after dinner and increase the frequency, distance and intensity gradually over time.

Exercise releases a chemical in the human brain called endorphins. They are commonly called "feel good" hormones because endorphins produce a feeling of well being. So, not only does exercise reduce your risk of chronic disease and help you to maintain your proper body weight: in helps to fight off stress and depression, improves your sleep, and may even prevent some forms of cancer.

It is always wise to check with your physician before starting an exercise routine if you have been inactive, or have health problems.

Establish healthy eating habits. Make it a family adventure in dining, not punishment just for you. Moreover, remember that building 'healthy eating habits' does not mean that you can never, ever (in this life or the next) have another piece of your favorite calorie-rich desert. It just means that you should save it for special occasions, and have just one serving.

Get regular medical check-ups. Do not wait until whatever is affecting you has been going on for months or years before seeing a physician. Listen to your body.

Once a problem is uncovered, in most cases it can be dealt with. When it comes to your health, what you don't know can literally kill you.

Pay attention to your mental health. Those "feeling" words that society says don't fit the 'masculine persona' are essential to survival in this world of ours. Unless we can communicate what is going on inside of ourselves (thoughts, feelings) to some other being, then we are truly and utterly alone.

Just a few of the effects of unrelieved stress on the body are gastrointestinal difficulties (i.e. ulcer, chronic indigestion, etc.), headache/migraine, hypertension, and mental illness. These are very severe consequences for ignoring feelings that you may have thought, or been taught were of no consequence.

Learn what is good and what is not for your body. Everyone is different.

For example, if jogging causes your knees and ankles to hurt, try water aerobics or swimming. If you feel tired and sluggish after that big dinner and that is why you don't exercise, eat a larger lunch and smaller dinner so that you can take that evening walk. Exercise on your lunch hour, or before you go to work. Lighten up on those big portions of meat and fat: put more variety in your meals.