THE life expectancy of African men is just below 50 years of age, which is 28 years less than men in Asia and Europe
South African men don't take care of their health and as a result die much earlier than they should, according to Dr Leonard Tiny Mhinga of the Men's Health Forum.
Mhinga says there is not enough "physical activity" in this country and this is why many men do not live long.
"The men in this country do not exercise at all, and they have very bad habits like smoking and drinking.
"This is not good for their health and contributes to other conditions that they get later on in life," he says.
Mhinga says men need to understand that between the ages of 35 and 40, things start changing and they need to make sure that they go for routine check-ups and start dealing with the changes taking place.
"Men experience a gradual decline in the production of the male hormone testosterone from their late 30s onwards, and as a result may experience some distressing and debilitating symptoms like lack of energy and vitality, loss of sexual desire or libido, a decrease in the quality of erections, mood swings and depression," Mhinga says.
Men also go through the male menopause experience, a decline in hormone levels that can have potentially life-threatening spin-offs for men, putting them at increased risk of developing prostate and other cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes and strokes as they age.
But while women take responsibility for their bodies and go for annual pap smears and mammograms and bone density tests, when it comes to consulting health professionals and taking preventative measures that could mean the difference between life and death, men remain sadly non-compliant.
Research shows that it's simply not part of their modus operandi, so it's hardly surprising that men have a higher level of serious morbidity and a lower life expectancy in all age groups, often dying prematurely instead of enjoying the prime of their lives.
"All we can do is encourage men to be active and to take care of their health and take note of the little changes taking place in their bodies like diabetes, big tummies, high cholesterol and hypotension and get themselves to clinics for these things," he says.
Why African men die early
THE life expectancy of African men is just below 50 years of age, which is 28 years less than men in Asia and Europe
South African men don't take care of their health and as a result die much earlier than they should, according to Dr Leonard Tiny Mhinga of the Men's Health Forum.
Mhinga says there is not enough "physical activity" in this country and this is why many men do not live long.
"The men in this country do not exercise at all, and they have very bad habits like smoking and drinking.
"This is not good for their health and contributes to other conditions that they get later on in life," he says.
Mhinga says men need to understand that between the ages of 35 and 40, things start changing and they need to make sure that they go for routine check-ups and start dealing with the changes taking place.
"Men experience a gradual decline in the production of the male hormone testosterone from their late 30s onwards, and as a result may experience some distressing and debilitating symptoms like lack of energy and vitality, loss of sexual desire or libido, a decrease in the quality of erections, mood swings and depression," Mhinga says.
Men also go through the male menopause experience, a decline in hormone levels that can have potentially life-threatening spin-offs for men, putting them at increased risk of developing prostate and other cancers, as well as heart disease, diabetes and strokes as they age.
But while women take responsibility for their bodies and go for annual pap smears and mammograms and bone density tests, when it comes to consulting health professionals and taking preventative measures that could mean the difference between life and death, men remain sadly non-compliant.
Research shows that it's simply not part of their modus operandi, so it's hardly surprising that men have a higher level of serious morbidity and a lower life expectancy in all age groups, often dying prematurely instead of enjoying the prime of their lives.
"All we can do is encourage men to be active and to take care of their health and take note of the little changes taking place in their bodies like diabetes, big tummies, high cholesterol and hypotension and get themselves to clinics for these things," he says.
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