COVER STORY
Health proofing our men – a race against time Men’s attitude to their health is a bit like a ticking time bomb but, writes LORRAINE PAGE, it’s never too late to swing the pendulum.
Circle of Men brings together men in residential care homes who often miss out on company.
W
hen it comes to living long, happy and productive lives, men are often behind the eight ball as no amount of sweet-talking will persuade them to pay more than rudimentary attention to their health – until it’s too late. Throughout life, men and women will have different experiences of health and wellbeing. A snapshot of 2018 by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that three out of four men were overweight or obese, their leading cause of death was coronary heart disease, and they were more likely to engage in risky behaviours and to die prematurely.
Women were more likely to be living with multiple chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and arthritis, but were found to drink significantly less alcohol, smoke less and were twice as likely to eat more fruit and vegetables than men. Both sexes were pretty much line ball in self-assessing their health as either “excellent” or “very good”; however, the bottom-line is that men die earlier than women. Men represent a good proportion of the clientele who attend the practice of naturopath Peter Kahler, more than most allied health professionals he estimates, and the reason he suggests, is simple.
“A lot of naturopaths are female,” he says. “You’re not going to have a male see a female for a health problem. “We have to work on men’s thinking and turn around the attitude that I won’t see a doctor until I’m at death’s door, because that kind of stoicism handed down from one generation to another is costing men their lives.” For the past 10 years, Peter’s focus has been on chronic degenerative diseases common to ageing such as heart disease and diabetes. More recently, he has combined his knowledge of biochemistry with natural nutrients that may assist in repairing and protecting health at the cellular level before these diseases take hold. “I can order pathology tests, do gene testing and hormone profiles,” he says. “Rather than waiting to see males who have 80 per cent blocked arteries and blood pressure that’s through the roof and putting a huge amount of pressure on their cardiovascular system, I can pick up those markers a lot earlier.” He’s also a motor-sport enthusiast and often uses a car analogy to steer men towards his practice because he knows they’ll baulk at seeing a health practitioner for a “health condition”. “Males can relate to that,” Peter says. “They know I’m not going to come out wearing a kaftan and waving an incense stick.” Wear and tear issues; systems check; more fuel in the tank; and improved performance is language easily understood in the corporate world where men are working 100-hour weeks and ripe for heart attacks, strokes or nervous breakdowns. “But I’m still up against it,” Peter says.
“Diabetes is a 15 to 20-year process. You start getting a bit of weight around the middle, a bit of fatigue and your stress response goes up … then suddenly you’re entering the diabetic tunnel, but it can take 15 years to display as a high glucose level on your blood test.” Nearly 50 per cent of men aged 16-85 have experienced a mental health problem during their life, according to the AIHW. Reflecting on the speed bumps in his own life, Terry Cornick, founder and chief executive officer of registered mental health charity Mr Perfect, says he was far from perfect. He knew that for most of his life he had suffered from some form of undiagnosed depression and anxiety but had many people fooled, even his best mate. When Terry moved to Australia from the United Kingdom 11 years ago, his immaculate suits and popularity at work earned him the moniker, “Mr Perfect”; they masked a traumatic childhood and a family history of mental illness. Five years later in 2014, when he was 30, he finally reached out for help and was prescribed medication and referred to a specialist, but he wasn’t told how else he could manage his mental health. He began asking probing questions. At that time, Beyond Blue, a non-profit organisation that addresses issues related to mental disorders, commissioned a project to understand in part how men perceive and experience social connectedness and to highlight tools that may help them to develop stronger ties. Terry founded Mr Perfect two years later, on the back of further studies that show social connectedness may be a
Losing your facial definition? CosTATT Clinic’s sole focus is on providing a high quality Cosmetic Tattooing service for its clients through 15 years of international experience in beauty and tattooing procedures.
OUR SERVICES INCLUDE: DE: • Eyebrow Tattoo • Eyeliner Tattoo • Lip Tattoo
ing • Scar Camouflaging • Areola Tattoo • Retouches
Call us today on
1300 376 372
www.costattclinic.com.au BRISBANE - SUNSHINE COAST - TOOWOOMBA
4 YOUR TIME MAGAZINE / July 2020
04.indd 2
Sunshine Coast
24/06/2020 2:48:33 PM