Is the health system failing men? (Sydney Morning Herald)

Australian males die, on average, five years earlier than women. Four experts discuss why this longevity gap is so difficult to bridge.

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Men's Health Australia eNews, 10 June 2011

In this edition:

• Men's Health Week, June 13 to 19, 2011
• Government deception won’t reduce violence
• Male Studies Symposium
• Australia's first National Pain Week
• Quick links to recent stories and resources of interest

Men are far less likely to pull a sickie (UK)

Contrary to sexist TV adverts showing “men going down with ‘man flu’ at the slightest cough and women soldiering on” it seems that women are far more likely to pretend to be ill. Recent research has found women are more likely than men to ‘pull a sickie’ and also more likely to pull off embarrassing excuses for taking unplanned leaves. The most embarrassing excuse given to the boss being one that few men could get away with – namely “women’s issues.” Research carried out for Sovereign Health Care found employees were more likely to take an unwarranted day off this month than at any other time of year, reports the Telegraph. From the 1,360 people who participated in the poll, more than half (56 percent) of the female participants admitted to pulling a sickie when not really ill, as opposed to just a third of the men.

Healthy men at work

Healthy men at work is an effective program which improves men’s health and wellbeing in the workplace. The program takes a practical, no fuss approach, presenting material in a men friendly and humorous manner, and provides follow up support to assist in maintaining changes. Healthy men at work addresses men in the context of their whole lives and does not just focus on physical health, but integrates emotional and social health. The program also provides a complementary focus on individual change and organisational change processes. The most challenging aspect of designing and implementing a men’s health program for most HR practitioners, is engaging men so they want to take part and remain involved. This is where we can help. Our program takes a strength based approach in our work with men; which makes it easy for men to gain knowledge on health issues and make good decisions to improve their health and achieve more in life. One of the shortfalls of men’s health and lifestyle improvement programs has been lack of sustainability.

Old girls twice as likely to see 100 (UK)

Nearly twice as many British women over 65 will live to celebrate their 100th birthday according to research on male and female centenarians by the DWP. The new report reveals that while nearly 900,000 British pensioners over 65 will still be around for the Big One-O-O – less than 300,000 will be male. Around ten million men and women living today will reach their century but with women in their hundreds outnumbering men two to one, Millions of older women could be left chasing a “young man” like Harry Enfield’s saucy old ladies. For boys born in 2011 an estimated one in four will reach 100 compared with one in three girls, which when compared with the life expectancy of an average boy in Swaziland (32 years) is something worth celebrating.