Men’s health is on the agenda for November with men around the world raising the profile for men’s health and bringing it to the ‘upper lip’ of conversation.

Currently Australian men live nearly five years less than women with the current life expectancy being 79 years. The leading causes of premature death for Australian Men include*: ischaemic heart disease, trachea and lung cancer, strokes, respiratory diseases and prostate cancer.

General poor health and lifestyle decisions contribute to some of these premature deaths with nearly two thirds of men (aged 18 and over) being over weight or obese and only five per cent of adult men consuming sufficient fruit and vegetables.

But blokes don’t talk about their health

Australian men are much less inclined than women to talk about their health or pay their GP a visit.  However, prevention and early detection is the key to living a longer and healthier life.

Sonic HealthPlus’ National Medical Officer, Doctor Marc Adonis advises that if something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it.  Take the time to visit your doctor, even if it’s just for a simple check-up.

“Men should look after their health like they do their car, that is have it serviced (checked) by a mechanic (doctor) at least annually if necessary more regularly.”

Looking after your health

Even though approximately two thirds of Australian men participate in sport, many are unaware of the other lifestyle factors are required to maintain good health.

“Maintaining a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, wearing sunscreen, not smoking, lowering alcohol intake, managing your stress levels and staying mentally healthy are all important factors to balance with exercise to improve your health and wellbeing,” recommends Dr Adonis.

“Finding a good GP is also really important, stick to a doctor who shows interest and your comfortable chatting with. Don’t just go because your wife or partner has made you!”

During the month of November Sonic HealthPlus is putting men’s health as a priority.  We are supporting Movember and encouraging everyone in Australia to have a conversation with the men in their lives and talk about some simple steps to improve their health and wellbeing.

To help get the conversation started in your workplace, we have some free resources, such as this great A3 Infographic Poster, available for download at the bottom of this page.

For further information on men’s health visit our health hub or talk to your GP.

*Australian Bureau of Statistics