I’m always reading reports and newspapers.
So I’m bombarded with stats and facts every day, pretty much.
It all comes with the territory!
But even so, I still get surprised by the occasional curveball.
For instance, recently, I read that British men are dying a lot earlier than in many other developed, wealthy countries like Australia, Switzerland and Austria.
And we’re dying from preventable or treatable illnesses, too, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease,
The statistic that really made my eyebrow rise came from the charity Movember.
It states that more than 133,000 men die early every year in the UK – roughly 15 every hour.
When you put it like that, it’s shocking isn’t it?!
Or here’s another way that the charity put it: two in five British men die prematurely from entirely avoidable health conditions (by ‘prematurely’, they mean before the age of 75).
Less surprising to me was the statistic which showed that men in the UK’s most deprived areas are 81% more likely to die prematurely than those in the wealthiest.
It just goes to show how much your health and wellbeing is down to the larger social and environmental conditions around you.
It’s not just a matter of an individual’s personal lifestyle choices, as some politicians like to make out.
The reason they say this is to let themselves off the hook for not tackling social problems and poverty – and for allowing big corporations to hold sway over our lives, making money from unhealthy, addictive processed food.
So what can be done?
Well, hopefully, male readers of this newsletter will understand the many options available for naturally reducing blood pressure, tackling cholesterol issues, improving sleep, lowering stress and improving nutrition.
And it’s also worth reminding you to deal with any health issues as soon as they arise.
The report by Movember points out that almost two in three men wait more than a week before getting symptoms checked out, while 48% avoid health check-ups altogether.
So I hope you keep reading, trying new things, and dealing with those worrying niggles sooner rather than later!
