by Shelly Barnes, Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Sciences, Wilson County
June is Men’s Health Month and serves as an important reminder because, according to a 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, men in the United States on average now die five years earlier than women and die at higher rates from nine of the top leading causes of death.
During Men’s Health Month and all year long, encourage men in your family to take control of their health and families to teach young boys healthy habits.
I have noticed that some of the men in my family may not want to make appointments to check up on their health. It is important for us to encourage the men in their lives about making an appointment for a checkup – this could include a father, brother, husband, son, or friend. In order to help support Men’s Health Month, we can cook healthy meals and take walks with the men in our lives.
Men’s Health Month has been observed since 1994. Its purpose is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys.
Men can do their part to help reduce the gap in life spans between men and women by knowing their preventable risks, creating healthful habits, scheduling routine tests for early detection of diseases, and documenting their family history, and then sharing it with their physicians. Of course, diet and exercise are part of any approach to improving overall health. According to the CDC, the leading causes of death among men are heart disease, cancer, and accidental death.
UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers educational programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching, and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.
For more information on this or other family topics, contact Shelly Barnes, family and consumer sciences Extension agent for UT Extension in Wilson County. Barnes may be reached at [email protected] or 615-444-9584 ext 105.
If you are interested in making a healthy meal for the special men in your life, check this website out for fun and healthy ideas: https://healthyfamilies.tennessee.edu/lets-cook/
