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Changing men's mindset can save their lives
WHETHER it's because of laziness, fear, or some misplaced sense of machismo, men all too often fail to get their health checked until it's too late.
We went to meet the health professionals who, during National Men's Health Week, have been trying to change this mindset, and save lives.
We found that men are like ostriches sometimes – when something goes wrong, we put our heads in the sand and pretend everything is fine.
This is perhaps truest when it comes to matters of health, with statistics revealing how women under 45 go and see their GP twice as much as men.
Though this has improved marginally in recent years, there are still a whole lot of men who just don't want to think about what sort of state they're in.
To combat this, Men's Health Week has been running for the past seven years, to raise awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease.
As part of the campaign in South Tyneside, health professionals from the NHS and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) visited two factories in the borough; Phoenix Steel in Hebburn and manufacturing firm Ford Group, which has sites in Tyne Dock and Hebburn.
I caught up with them when they visited Phoenix Steel – a member of the South Tyneside Workplace Health Alliance – where workers were offered health 'MoTs' to check cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.
They also had their height and weight taken to determine their body mass index.
The tests help to detect early signs of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which causes the early death of 27 per cent of men in South Tyneside, second only to cancer, which claims 32 per cent.
Tracy Collins, health improvement practitioner for South Tyneside PCT, said: "Men are more at risk of developing a serious illness and dying prematurely, as they are less likely to go to their GP with early signs and symptoms.
"During Men's Health Week we encourage men to lead a healthy lifestyle through eating a balanced diet and taking regular exercise as well as quitting smoking and keeping alcohol consumption within the recommended amounts."
It's hoped that by encouraging men in the region to think more about their health, the disparity of life expectancies between men and women can finally start to be reduced.
Tracy added: "Men in South Tyneside live 75.3 years on average compared with 79.9 years for women, but if we can advise men on health issues and prompt them to visit their doctor when they first show symptoms, we may be able to work towards a longer life expectancy in the future."
FIRST up for the tests in the Phoenix Steel staff was quality manager Peter Shiels, 45, from Hebburn.
He said: "We are keen to provide our workforce with help and support when it comes to their health and wellbeing.
"It's always good to take expert advice on these matters and that's what we've decided to do.
"Statistics show most of the problems are preventable if they just get check-ups.
"Most blokes are just a bit lazy. If they think something is wrong with them, they will want to push it out of the way and forget about it."
As for his results? "I'm as fit as a fiddle," the dad-of-two laughed.
Next up to see BHF nurse Marie Cooper was Ronald Scott, a 61-year-old warehouseman and dad of two from Hebburn.
He said: "I don't go the doctor very often and thought it was a good idea. They were offering it for free, so I came and got it done. I don't think many blokes like going to the doctors."
After being given his results he allowed himself a broad grin and joked: "It's a relief to find out that I'm not going to die."
David McNally, a 37-year-old transport manager from Dunston, who has worked at Phoenix for 16 years, hadn't taken the test when I spoke to him, but was booked in to have it the following day.
Pro-active in his attitude to personal health, he could have been a poster boy for what the campaign is trying to achieve.
"I'm quite good at getting myself tested," he said. "The majority of men aren't. It's worth getting tested."
He's right too. So get your head out of the sand and go for a check-up – it might just save your life.
For more information, log on to www.menshealthforum.org.uk or www.malehealth.co.uk.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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