Danish men fatter, sicker, dead sooner than EU counterparts

This isn’t exactly for the ‘fun and quirky’ news section, but it caught my eye. From the Copenhagen News: Danish men are among the least healthy Europeans, according to a new EU health report. They have higher incidences of cancer and diabetes and shorter life spans than more than half of all EU men. According to a Danish doctor who helped author the report, typically ‘masculine’ behaviours are a big reason for the low standard of health. “The most alarming result from the report is that we just don’t stand where we should in regard to the incidence of cancer. Cancer is now our most frequent cause of death,” Svend Aage Madsen, chief psychologist at Rigshospitalet, told Berlingske newspaper. ”The diseases are being detected too late and mortality is higher than in other countries. It looks bad throughout Europe, but especially bad in Denmark.” [SNIP] In general, the report found that men throughout Europe are in worse health than women. They overate more, exercised less and waited too long to seek medical help when health problems arose. According to the report’s authors, many of the reasons behind the trend are related to gender roles. Men, for example, tended to wait longer than women before they went to see the doctor and were less likely to follow the doctors’ orders once they got a diagnosis. Madsen explained that masculine roles and cultural traditions played a big part in men’s diseases and shorter life spans. While, for example, it has long been acceptable for women to focus on their physical symptoms – an awareness honed through childcare responsibilities – such focus on self-care was long stigmatised for men, who were supposed to be tough hunters and warriors.]]>