National Men’s Health Week has begun! Supported by the RSPH, this year’s theme is ‘Challenges and Choices’.
Men take too many risks with their health – too many drink alcohol excessively, smoke, eat a poor diet, use illegal drugs, have unsafe sex, and drive dangerously.
One of the biggest risks to men’s health is their reluctance to seek help from services such as the GP or pharmacist or to take part in health improvement programmes like weight-loss clinics. This is often because services and programmes are not delivered in ways that take account of men’s particular needs.
Poor use of services by men has a direct impact on their health and wellbeing. A good example is malignant melanoma – more women than men develop this cancer but more men than women die from it, almost certainly because of late presentation by men.
NMHW 2009 will seek to reflect the different needs and concerns of men from a range of backgrounds and communities. The aim of the week is to encourage all men not to be embarrassed about seeking help and to make them aware of the range of services there are for them both within the NHS and in the community.
NMHW will not be a negative event focusing just on the problems that exist but will instead seek to promote a positive view of how the problems can be tackled by highlighting – and encouraging – better self-care by men and better practice within the health system.
The week will feature local events, as well as a balloon debate at Body Worlds in Greenwich, London, when Dr Ian Banks, the president of the Men’s Health Forum, will quiz the balloon’s passengers before an invited crowd decide who flies and who gets thrown overboard.
Don’t forget that the MHF Chief Executive, Peter Baker is speaking at a FREE RSPH event on 21st July 2009. Book your place now!
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Note to editors
The Royal Society for Public Health is an independent, multi-disciplinary organisation, dedicated to the promotion and protection of collective human health and well-being. Through advocacy, mediation, empowerment, knowledge and practice we advise on policy development, provide education and training services, encourage scientific research, disseminate information and certify products, training centres and processes.
Over 100,000 students take our qualifications each year in food hygiene, salon hygiene, pest control, health & safety, nutrition, the built environment, meat inspection, health and emergency planning.
We provide qualifications which are directly relevant to the workplace and we help people to progress through their chosen career by offering qualifications at different levels. The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) is also an awarding body recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). We have a network of over 1500 training centres throughout the UK. We provide a wide range of course material including syllabuses, sample exam answers
The RSPH is an independent charity formed in October 2008 with the merger of the Royal Society of Health (RSH) and the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH). The RSPH has a Royal Charter and Her Majesty The Queen is our Patron.
