Men’s Health Week
June is Men’s Health Month, and this week (June 14-20) marks National Men’s Health Week, bringing attention to men’s health in the lead up to Father’s Day. We’re dedicating this week’s posts to men and fathers to help bring awareness to their health concerns and celebrate the contributions of dads.
A lot of talk about men’s health is often about physical prevention – getting regular exams, eating healthy meals, finding the time to exercise. But good health is more than just taking care of the body; it also means taking care of the mind. Research has shown the strong connection between mind and body health. And one of the most common contributors to physical health problems is stress.
To kick off the week, we offer a few numbers about stress and men from the recent Stress in America survey by the American Psychological Association.
- 67 – the percent of men surveyed who said money is a significant source of their stress.
- 60 – the percent of men who say work-related demands interfere with their family responsibilities (compared to 49 percent of women).
- 55 – the percent of fathers who said they lay awake at night because of stress.
- 48 – the percent who eat too much or eat unhealthy foods because of stress.
- 27 – the percent who said they feel depressed or sad because of stress.
What we’re writing about for Men’s Health Week (This list will be updated throughout the week as we publish new posts):
- What My Dad Taught Me About Dealing With Stress (June 14, 2010) by Dr. Christopher Ebberwein
- Men Finding Hope and Health During Unemployment (June 15, 2010) by Dr. Nancy Molitor
- Why Men Avoid Physical Exams and How They Can Be Motivated (June 16, 2010) by Dr. Alan Keck
- Postpartum Depression Can Hit New Dads Too (June 17, 2010) by Dr. Rosalind Dorlen
- Men Managing Stress (June 18, 2010) by Dr. Ron Palomares
- Playtime with Dad Helps Kids Take Risks (June 21, 2010) by Dr. Stephanie Smith
- How Dads Can Get Their Kids Moving and Active (June 21, 2010) by Dr. Teri Bourdeau
- Dads: Remain Close to Your Family Even When You Have No Time (June 21, 2010) by Dr. David Palmiter
We offer a few other resources to get better informed about men’s health:
- Men’s Health from the Centers for Disease Control
- Men and Depression from the American Psychological Association
- Men’s Health from Medline Plus
- Men’s Health Network
Photo by disgustipado (via flickr)
Filed under: Chronic Illness & Disease Management, Parenting, Stress
I thrive on stress. I have 10 children (counting most of my steps, but not all, adopted, and biological children). I recently became 71 after a life of graduate school, serious physical injuries, 3 marriages, building my own businesses, working in prisons, and a number of other stressors you will have to read about in my autobiography if I ever get it finished. I am currently involved in being a psychologist, selling books, writing books and papers, starting a publishing company, and acting. If it were not for stress, I would be applying for SSI, lying in bed, counting flowers on the wall, etc. I love life and I’m going to live it until I’m dragged out of it kicking and screaming. I tried to retire for about 2 weeks and started dying. I quit that quickly and looked for ways to create stress. I hope others will do the same.