Men’s Health - know your man facts


On average, Australian men experience different health outcomes to females. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), men are more likely to get sick from serious health problems, they have a higher mortality rate, and they die in greater numbers than females from almost all non-sex-specific health problems and potentially avoidable causes.

For the 84,588 males who died in 2020:

  • Ischaemic heart diseases were the leading cause, claiming the lives of over 10,000 men.
  • More than 3 in 4 people who died from suicide were male.
  • 2 in 3 preventable deaths were male.
  • Over 95% of deaths in the workplace were male.
  • 3 in 4 deaths from motor vehicle accidents were male.

Are your choices putting you at risk?

One of the reasons that men are generally in poorer health than women could be because they are also more likely engage in risky behaviours, such as substance abuse and dangerous driving. Research shows that they are also more likely to make other negative lifestyle choices, such as poor nutritional habits.  

The ABS National Health Survey (2018), revealed that:

  • Only 1 in 2 men did enough physical activity.
  • Men were more likely to exceed the single occasion risk guideline for alcohol consumption, with over 54% consuming more than four standard drinks respectively.
  • 3 in 4 men were overweight or obese.
  • Men were 1.5 times as likely to smoke daily than women.
  • Men were almost twice as likely than women to consume sugary drinks daily.
  • Fewer than 1 in 30 men met the recommended fruit and vegetable intake.

In addition, men are also less likely to seek professional help for health problems, particularly those of an emotional nature. They visit the doctor less frequently than women, have shorter visits, and only attend when their illness is in its later stages.

Taking care of your health isn’t rocket science. Whether you are male or female, by making some small changes to your lifestyle you can greatly decrease your odds of being another statistic.

You can start improving your health and wellbeing today by simply:

  • Getting active - aiming for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity everyday;
  • Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake - aim to reach 2 fruit and 5 veg everyday;
  • Reducing your alcohol intake - aim for no more than 2 standard drinks per day, and no more than 4 standard drinks on a single occasion. It is also important to have at least 1-2 alcohol free days per week;
  • Quitting smoking - the simplest way to reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and may other chronic conditions;
  • Watching your weight - If you are overweight the first step is to stop gaining weight. Then try for steady weight loss. Be more physically active and eat according to your energy needs;
  • Seeking help when you need it - whether it’s a physical or emotional issue, don’t try and ‘tough it out’ or go it alone, the earlier you get help, the easier it is to start bouncing back; and
  • Checking in regularly with your GP - Most of the premature causes of death in men are due to lifestyle choices that are both modifiable and detectable with regular health assessments. Generally, the ones that are not lifestyle associated are screenable, and therefore, could be detected early with a regular visit to your GP.

It’s time to start taking care of yourself and getting to the doctor on a regular basis, particularly if you’re over 40 Fellas!

 

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