Why do we need the Men’s Health Forum?

Men’s health is unnecessarily poor. 40% of men still die prematurely (before the age of 75). Male death rates are significantly affected by social deprivation: men who are defined as unskilled have a life expectancy of under 73 years, over seven years fewer than professional men, and in certain communities in England life expectancy is as short as 65 years.

• A man can expect to be seriously or chronically ill for 14 years of his life
• Men visit their GP 20% less frequently than women and are also much less likely to use pharmacy, smoking cessation, weight management and health trainer services.
• Circulatory diseases kill more men than any other disease and the rate is over 50 per cent higher than for women.
• Men are 60% more likely to develop cancer and are 70% more likely to die from the disease.
• The number of new cases of prostate cancer has climbed to over 34,000 a year.
• 75% of people who kill themselves are men.
• One in eight men is dependent on alcohol and men are three times more likely to become dependent on alcohol.
• By 2015, 36% of men will be obese.