Men's Health HANDBOOK

Advice for preventing and treating ailments that most commonly afflict men.

- VERA TWEED

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

All too often, such a mentality misleads men into ignoring their health, according to Fred Pescatore, MD, a New York-based integrative physician and author of The Hamptons Diet, The Allergy and Asthma Cure, and other health-related books. However, men who keep themselves in good shape have an excellent chance of staying that way for many years to come.

A study of 2,357 men who had reached the age of 70, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that men have a 54 percent chance of living to age 90 or longer if they don’t smoke or have diabetes, have normal weight and blood pressure, and exercise two to four times a week. “Furthermore,” the authors of this study reported, “men with a life span of 90 or more years also had better physical function, mental well-being, and self-perceived health in late life compared with men who died at a younger age.”

In other words, a healthful lifestyle doesn’t just increase the length of life, but also improves its quality.

What Breaks

A drop in sex drive, less enjoyment from exercise or sports, and inexplicable fatigue are among the most common reasons men come to see Pescatore. “I’m just not as strong as I used to be,” or “I’m not feeling like my usual self,” are frequent complaints. The likely trigger of these symptoms is excess weight around the middle, creating an apple-shaped body.