June is Men’s Health Month. This week (Men’s Health Week) leading up to Father’s Day, the goal is to help spread awareness about prevention, early detection, and general health in general. Fremont County Prevention wants you to remind the men and boys in your life to practice healthy lifestyles.

Five things to remember are:

Eat healthy.
Everyone feels better when they feed their body with healthy foods. What you put affects what your body is able to produce. Are you feeling lethargic? Put down that cheeseburger and collect some fresh fruits and vegetables. There are many free nutrition apps that can help you track the foods you eat and your daily activity.

Move!
It should be easy, but it isn’t always. Starting a regular exercise routine can be difficult at first. Go slowly. Try a Couch to 5k workout or join a gym and participate in group classes. Don’t want to join a gym? There are plenty of free fitness apps out there to help you build a routine.

Take it easy with the alcohol.
Binge drinking is not good for anyone, and men are more likely to abuse it than women. Here are some reasons why you should drink responsibly.

• Men have higher rates of alcohol-related hospitalizations than women.
• Almost three-quarters of deaths from binge drinking are in men, totaling about 68,000 deaths each year in the United States
• Among drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes, males are 50% more likely to have been intoxicated (i.e., a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or more) than the women.
• Heavy drinking can increase aggression and the risk of physically harming another person. Alcohol is a major risk factor for sexual and domestic violence.
• Men are more than three times more likely to die from suicide than women and more likely to have drunk before killing themselves.
• Alcohol consumption is one of the main preventable risk factors for cancer. Drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver and colon, which are more common in men. Drinking alcohol also increases the risk of prostate cancer.
• https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/mens-health.htm

Prevention is the key!
Many health problems can be detected early with regular check-ups with your health care provider. Regular screenings can include blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, prostate health, etc. For a full guide to what screenings you might need and at what age, click here.

Mental health is as important as physical health.
Mental illness in men is a public health issue that is attracting attention and should be treated year round. If you think you or a loved one is showing signs of mental illness, visit www.mhascreening.org for free, prompt, and confidential screening for depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, PTSD and / or alcohol or substance use problems. . For more information, click here or here.

For more information on men’s health, visit the Men’s Health Network.