News :
Men warned about obesity problem
BBC NEWS, June 13 2005 -- Three
quarters of men will be overweight within five years, research shows.
The Men's Health Forum said a change in the way weight
campaigns were aimed at men was needed to avert the crisis.
It said part of the problem was that messages were often
targeted at women - despite more men (65%) than women (55%) being overweight
or obese.
The group has produced a health guide in the style of a
car manual to help change attitudes.
Slimming
A survey by the forum found many men were against seeking
help to lose weight.
More than half of men said they would not go to a GP for
advice, while 87% were against joining slimming clubs.
The survey, of 1,028 men aged 16 to 64, revealed men were
more likely to be motivated to lose weight to help them "chat someone
up" (43%) than for health reasons (39%).
Men are often less well informed about nutrition and how to lose weight
than women
Dr Ian Banks, of the Men's Health Forum
The men surveyed also showed a lack of understanding about
the health implications of being overweight.
Only two thirds knew that being overweight was linked to
diabetes, while a third were aware of the link to erection problems.
Projections for 2010, based on present trends show that
75% of men will be overweight or obese by 2010, compared to two thirds
of women, the forum said.
The new guide, the HGV Man manual, has been produced in
conjunction with car manual publishers Haynes.
It delivers a health message in a male-friendly way, referring
to seeing a doctor as having an MOT.
Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men's Health Forum and author
of HGV Man, said: "Men are often less well informed about nutrition
and how to lose weight than women.
"To be effective advice must be tailored to men.
Support
"Currently, health messages about weight loss are
most geared to women in ways that men don't connect with.
"Support for male weight loss has to be provided in
a range of settings, such as the workplace and online, as well as through
the GP practice."
National Obesity Forum chairman Dr David Haslam said men
had to pay more attention to their weight.
"Men need to be more aware of the health implication
of excess abdominal fat and how to lose weight.
"Reducing waist size alone can lead to significant
improvements in health, so being able to notch in a belt can be a good
and simple way of gauging healthy weight loss."
(source :
www.news.bbc.co.uk)
