Canadian Men’s Health Week kicked off with an urgent message: unhealthy lifestyle choices are running rampant, and they are costing this country an arm and a leg.
Smoking, excess weight, over-consumption of alcohol and physical inactivity are some of the leading causes of chronic disease among Canadian men, according to a study released by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation (CMFH). And the economic burden from these factors is costing the country close to $37 billion each year. About $12 billion alone is spent in direct health care costs while the remaining approximately $25 billion covers premature death and short- and long-term disability. More than $200 billion is spent annually on health care or about 11 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product, an indicator of an economy’s size.
“The cost of men’s poor health is a huge problem that more and more people are talking about,” said Dr. Larry Goldenberg, CMHF founder. “Encouraging men to make some changes in their lifestyle is helping to prevent up to 70 per cent of these problems without adding another doctor or hospital to the health care system.”
Goldenberg said the four risk factors contribute to approximately 40 different chronic conditions including lung diseases, cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and chronic back pain.
“While the economic costs are high, the effects on men’s families and communities are even higher,” Goldenberg added. “Widows account for 45 per cent of all women aged 65 and over. We men need to start making changes to take better care of ourselves, not just for us, but also for the people who count on us and for our communities.”
Canadian Men’s Health Week, which runs from June 15 to 21, aims at raising awareness about these issues and encourages men to make small lifestyle changes.
“It’s a matter of getting information out to men,” said Dave Harper, who is helping to organize a men’s health event in Powell River with money raised at last year’s Movember shave-off fundraiser.
Harper, a cancer survivor and advocate for using PSA screening as an early warning indicator for prostate cancer, said he originally envisioned men being able to give blood samples at the event and having them screened for PSA levels. But that plan was nixed because it would require the involvement of a local medical laboratory and Powell River does not have one outside of Powell River General Hospital. Nevertheless, Harper is encouraging men, as young as 35, to step up.
“It’s something that you need to get checked,” he said. “If you catch it early then you can have relief and live a full life.”
Change is possible and tips and inspiration are available at CMHF’s website. “It’s not all or nothing, even small improvements in nutrition and activity add up to big benefits later,” said Wayne Hartrick, CMHF president.
Harper said that about a dozen tables will be set up with information ranging from hearing and eyesight loss to prostate cancer and other health related issues. The free event runs from 10 am to 3 pm on Saturday, June 20, at Town Centre Hotel.
