Are men ready for DIY health care?

As men's health activists you all know that 120,000 men die prematurely every year in the UK - the equivalent of two 737s going down every day. It's a shocking stat but not one most people are aware of because in 2008 the mainstream media so rarely covers this story.

Hat's off then to Yvonne Roberts of the social innovation think-tank, the Young Foundation who makes the links between self-management and men's health in her latest piece on DIY health care for The Guardian's website. Is the government really interested in self-management or in cost-cutting? Are men ready for self-management? "Real men", she suggests, 'might opt for an occasional bout of hypochondria, but they don't give in easily to genuine symptoms'. A thought-provoking read.

• And if you're interested in those premature death stats, check out the MHF's annual report for 2006-07. It's all in there.
• Let us know what you think of Yvonne's article using the box below.