Make it Men's Health Week All Year
MAKE IT MEN'S HEALTH WEEK ALL YEAR
Guest opinion submitted by Idaho Senator Mike Crapo
Is the two-mile hike to your favorite hunting or fishing spot not quite as easy as it was last year? Are your clothes a little snug after winter? Or, on a more serious note, have you been putting off a visit to the doctor to find out why you are tired, or hurt in a certain place? Now is the opportune time to resolve to better your health. June 9-13 marked the 10th anniversary of National Men's Health Week and it gives us a chance to seriously evaluate our commitment to our health and well-being, and make a commitment to do it all year long.
Historically, men tend to avoid personal health care issues. Perhaps admitting poor health or illness is unacceptable. We tend to ignore telltale signs of poor health, illness, or disease. Our lifestyle choices also reflect a belief in our own invincibility. We want to be strong, and confessing sickness or some other unhealthy circumstance due to poor diet and exercise choices may seem like admitting a failure or weakness.
It's time for a reality check--before one comes upon you, unbidden and impossible to ignore. My conviction comes from first-hand experience because my own reality check came about three years ago without warning. After putting off--more than once--my regularly scheduled physical because of more "important" things, I made a long overdue doctor's visit, only to discover that I tested positive for prostate cancer. I underwent successful surgery, and fortunately, I have been cancer-free since. When it comes to your health, it is extremely important to make decisions based on facts. Sadly, men tend to base lifestyle choices on culturally-induced patterns of behavior rather than on existing scientific data.
Numerous studies and statistics illustrate the effect of an unhealthy lifestyle and genetic tendencies toward certain illnesses. The Mayo Clinic estimates that prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in men. Even more chilling is Mayo's finding that the average American man has a 30% chance of developing this cancer in his lifetime. According to the American Heart Association in a study conducted from 1988-1994, heart disease affects 6.7% of men aged 45-54, and increases to 18.6% in men over 75; strokes affected 2.2% of men aged 45-54, and increased to 12.5% in men over 75. The Center for Disease Control says diabetes accounts for 20% of all deaths in people over 20 years old. Diabetes increases a person's risk of death from heart disease two to four times and increases the risk of stroke by two to four times as well. High blood pressure and elevated levels of body fat and cholesterol contribute to alarming disease and death rates, as well as detrimentally affecting our quality of life.
These sobering facts demonstrate why we need to make healthy lifestyle choices and see a doctor on a regular basis. There are numerous options when it comes to healthy eating, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provides resources from a wide variety of national health and preventative care organizations on specific nutrition requirements. Regular exercise is crucial to maintaining your health. Prolonged inactivity leads to obesity, significantly increasing risks of heart disease, diabetes, and other health problems. We also need to make regular visits to our doctor. Aside from detecting an illness, our doctor is a valuable resource for diet and exercise recommendations. There are steps you can take to mitigate risks; early detection is one. For this reason, I established the Mike Crapo Health Awareness Booths at fairs around Idaho, and planning is underway for the upcoming fair season. I hope to see you there! You must make healthy lifestyle choices and see your doctor once in a while. Take the opportunity now to make a change for the better. We have a responsibility to our families to be as healthy as we can.