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Give your Dad the gift of health this Father's Day

Thursday, 1 September 2016

Men's health experts from the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ of Adelaide are urging family members to consider giving Dad a meaningful – and potentially life-saving – "gift of health" this Father's Day.

Professor Gary Wittert, Director of the at the ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥, says that given the many issues facing men's health in our nation, a health-related gift could have lasting benefits for Dad and for the whole family.

"ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥ns currently spend over $750 million each year on Father’s Day gifts. Gifts that more often than not end up languishing in the bottom of a drawer or expiring before use," Professor Wittert says.

"ÐÓ°ÉÖ±²¥n men, on average, have poorer health and die sooner than women. They are more likely to be overweight or obese, have type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and less likely to receive help for depression and anxiety."

Research from the Freemasons Foundation Centre for Men’s Health is unravelling the links between a range of men's health problems, in particular: obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, depression, obstructive sleep apnoea, low testosterone, getting up at night to pass urine, sexual dysfunction, and prostate cancer.

"Our work at the Centre has shown that just a 5-10% weight loss leads to significant improvements in, or prevents the occurrence of, these disorders," Professor Wittert says.

"Perhaps even more important is eating a diet that contains the right balance of nutrients, having a routine of regular aerobic and resistance activity, a good night’s sleep, moderating alcohol intake, and stopping smoking.

"So this Father’s Day, think about giving Dad the Gift of Health," he says.

Professor Wittert's advice:

• Cook healthy meals together, and give a cookbook that explains how
• Give a health monitoring device (e.g. Fitbit) and encourage everyone in the family to compete for who has the most steps each week
• Commit to spending family time on the weekends in the park, riding bikes and going for a walk, a swim, or ride with Dad each evening
• to men’s health research in Dad's name.

For more information about research into men's health, visit: 

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