The 21st century man is a great deal different to men of previous generations. They spend more time indoors, more time sitting down and less time doing physical work and activity. There is also an increased risk of stress and self-esteemed related issues thanks to the advent of social media.
All of these factors have led to a number of issues, with the following accounting for more deaths and hospital visits than anything else.
1. Diabetes
Men are around 40% more likely to die from diabetes than women and at any given time at least 10% of the young male population will be suffering from this disease. It’s a silent killer, as it often goes undiagnosed and only rears its head when serious damage has been done.
Diets rich in refined sugar, in combination with a rise in obesity, are behind these worrying statistics.
2. Car Crashes and Other Accidents
This is a great time to be an auto accident attorney, but it’s not a great time to be a young driver. Cars are safer than they have ever been, but there are also more of them on the road than ever and this has led to a sharp increase in road traffic accidents resulting in death and injury.
Young men between the ages of 18 and 24 are the highest risk as they lack the experience and are filled with the testosterone and invincibility of youth. Every year in the US tens of thousands of people die on the road and a large number of these are young men.
3. Loneliness
Loneliness is a big killer and some studies have suggested that it can be just as deadly as alcoholism and cigarettes. Simply put, someone who suffers from chronic loneliness is more likely to die prematurely than someone who does not. There are many factors at play here, but it all boils down to the fact that they are more depressed and don’t experience the highs and the comfort that comes from regular social interaction.
Studies suggest that between 10% and 20% of men in the United States have few to no friends, and this problem seems to be getting worse.
4. Heart Disease
Heart attacks kill more men than any other condition and this issue is only getting worse. There are many contributing factors, but the rise in heart disease mainly stems from the fact that men are getting fatter, eating lower-quality foods, and exercising less. The good news is that fewer men smoke than ever, but cigarettes have been swapped for binge drinking and binge eating, and these issues can be just as deadly.
Heart disease is the biggest killer in the United States right now, overtaking cancer. It is also one of the biggest killers in the United Kingdom and across the developed world, though it is less of an issue in countries such as Spain, Italy and Greece, suggesting that it’s dietary related.
5. Prostate Cancer
Experts have suggested that every man above the age of 70 has some form of prostate cancer, even if it’s not the thing that kills them. It’s incredibly common, and while it’s not always deadly, it still kills a huge number of men every single year and is one of the toughest cancers to treat.
There is no way to guard against this issue from developing, but an active lifestyle combined with a healthy diet and minimal alcohol intake can reduce the odds of prostate cancer developing. Men are also advised to get checked on a regular basis as soon as they turn 50. The problem is, the “checking” process is considered uncomfortable and invasive, and as a result may men avoid it altogether, which means they don’t realize that a cancer has developed until it is too late.
