June is Men’s Health Month

It’s Men’s Health Month! We encourage young folks and adults to take a few minutes of your time to learn more about how to live a healthy and more productive life. Taking care of your health can lead to feeling better and practicing a more active lifestyle. Take notes!

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 13% of men in the United States are in poor or fair health, 13% smoke, 40.5% suffer from obesity and only 28% reach the desirable parameters of physical activity. In addition, 51.9% suffer from high blood pressure and only 12.5% have health insurance coverage. 

This month offers an important opportunity to remember: your health is important, you are important!

A Call to Action

Despite all of the information available to us and so many advances in science, men continue to present serious health problems and engage in risky behaviors. Every day is an opportunity to improve our habits, but this month in particular is a great opportunity to raise awareness and take action. 

Follow these preventive measures so that you can improve your health, your quality of life, and maintain a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle:

• Schedule an annual preventive checkup: This type of exam looks for diseases before there are symptoms and is a way to monitor the progress of your health.
• Get preventive medicines: Check with your healthcare provider if preventive medicines or supplements are right for you.
• Review your immunizations: You may need boosters from previous vaccines or you may need to update your yearly immunizations, such as the flu shot.
• Exercise: Exercising 3-5 times a week for a total of 2.5 hours per week is one of the ways to stay active, relaxed and energized.
• Maintain a healthy weight: Find a balance between what you eat and how active you are.
• Avoid smoking: Cigarettes cause 30% of all deaths in the United States and are related to multiple types of cancer.
• Reduce your consumption of alcoholic beverages: Drinking alcohol has been associated with multiple health risks and risky behaviors. Avoid consuming more than 2 drinks per day, or 1 drink per day if you are over 65 years.

Early Detection Screenings 

If you haven’t had your annual checkup yet, this month is an opportunity to do so. Talk to your doctor about your age-appropriate preventive exam and screening tests.

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References:

AHRQ. (2014). Men: preserve your health at any age. AHRQ. https://www.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/patients-consumers/patient-involvement/healthy-men/hombre.pdf  

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2021). Men’s health. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/mens-health.htm