25 Surprising Facts About Men’s Health
On one hand, their bearded Movembers, their nights of endless FIFA or their sheer lack of interest in shopping may annoy us. On the other hand, their rare but meaningful expressions of love may make us smile all over again. Men as fathers, husbands, brothers, sons and friends play incredibly important roles in our lives. Not only is it about time we acknowledge the fact that not all health problems affect men and women equally, but it’s also becoming exceedingly necessary to spread awareness about it. Thus, this June, we celebrate, commemorate, and recognize men’s health in all its glory. Here are some facts about the current status of men’s health in the USA that are both informative and alarming.
Have a sense of tumor:
1) Each year over 230,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer and about 30,000 will die from it.
2) Testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men aged 15 - 34 years.
Make a mental note:
3) The 3rd most common reason men don’t seek mental health help is they think they can handle the problem on their own.
4) Inactive men are 60% more likely to suffer from depression, which is why regular physical activity is so important for everyone, especially men.
Doctor Who?
5) Women are 100% more likely than men to visit a doctor for annual exams.
Old Habits Die Hard:
6) Men who smoke can plan on losing 12 teeth by age 72.
7) Men make up ~55% of the workforce, but account for 92% of all workplace deaths.
8) Every day 90 American men die by suicide.
9) Men are nearly three times more likely than women to abuse alcohol and twice as likely to abuse recreational drugs like marijuana and cocaine.
10) The most common cause of death for men in the U.S. is heart disease (the same as for women), and the average age of a first heart attack for men is just 66 years.
Sweet Nothings:
11) Men are nearly twice as likely as women to die prematurely from diabetes.
Who Got Your Back?
12) Back injuries are the second biggest cause of all disability claims in men.
13) 80% of spinal cord injuries occur in young men.
Oh Boy!
14) Globally, boy babies are 25% more likely to die in infancy than girl babies.
15) Approximately 56% of boy babies born in the U.S. are circumcised at birth, representing a decline of 20% since 1950. Worldwide, approximately one-third of men have been circumcised.
16) Boys are three to four times more likely to be diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders than girls.
17) Higher levels of testosterone in boys and men generally cause greater levels of aggression, competition, self-assertion, and self-reliance than in women.
18) Boys are approximately three times more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit disorder (ADD) or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than girls are.
Fun Facts:
19) The biological symbol for the male sex, a circle with a small arrow protruding from it, is also the symbol for the planet Mars. The two components of the symbol are designed to represent the shield and spear of Mars, the Roman god of war.
20) Men are roughly 20 times more likely to be colorblind than women.
21) Men suffer hearing loss at 2 times the rate of women.
22) Average height today for men in the U.S. is just over 5' 9" (175 cm) and average weight is approximately 190 pounds (86 kg). In 1960, average height for men was about 5' 8" (172 cm) and average weight was just over 166 pounds (75 kg).
23) Worldwide, men have a life expectancy of 64.52 years, as compared to a life expectancy of 68.76 years for women.
24) Of the more than 151 million men currently living in the U.S., approximately 64.3 million are fathers.
25) Scientists have discovered than men's and women’s brains actually function somewhat differently. When focused on a task, men tend to use only one side of their brain at a time, devoting all of their attention and concentration to the task at hand. Women, on the other hand, tend to use both sides of the brain at the same time, making them more adept at "multi-tasking.”
