Ep. 094: Answers to Men's Health Questions
Guest: Dr. John Oliffe, University of British Columbia
Why do men die almost five years earlier than women?
Dr. John Oliffe is the driving force behind a University of British Columbia research project looking into that question. He says it comes down to five things: diet, alcohol consumption, exercise, depression and heart disease. In other words, what you put in your mouth, how much you move and your state of mind.
Key to state of mind is the rate at which men turn to suicide. Oliffe says, “It's not the case for every man, but the fact is, men are suiciding at four times the rate of women.” Underlying factors are a loss of purpose, psychological injuries that are left unattended and physical injuries that lead to chronic pain and reduced mobility. According to Oliffe, men run away from addressing these issues through self medication. That’s a euphemism for alcohol and drugs.
Oliffe says there are a variety of strategies you can employ that all have the same denominator – ask for and get help.
