Schools flunk the health test

By the time both women and men reach the age of 65, research shows that the number of women greatly exceeds that of men. The Mayo Clinic lists the top 7 killers of American males as: heart disease, cancer, unintentional accidents, chronic lung disease, stroke, diabetes, and suicide. Most of these issues can be prevented. Prevention is as simple as eating healthy, exercising regularly, limiting alcohol, not smoking, coping appropriately with stress, and receiving regular medical check-ups, including recommended cancer screenings. For decades, a strong emphasis has been placed on women's health, primarily through public health awareness campaigns and federal dollars. It does not come as a surprise then that the ratio of men to women over the age of 65 is roughly 85 to 100, with men dying an average of 6 years earlier. Extensive internet searches on higher education curriculums show that men's health courses are rarely offered and men's health promotion remains largely unaddressed across American college campuses. Research demonstrates that most chronic health conditions evident in middle and old age actually begin to manifest themselves in adolescence. This lack of education of men's health issues in the classroom and on college campuses does not allow for males to learn preventive practices that will make it more likely to keep these 7 killers at bay. Significant emphasis must be placed on men's health issues during these critical college years, when healthy lasting habits are easier to shape than once chronic diseases have caused permanent irreversible damages.