Almost three quarters of Canadian men regularly show unhealthy habits, says a new study conducted by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation. In B.C., the number is slightly lower, with just over 67 per cent of men being unhealthy.
The foundation released its findings to mark the first day of Canadian Men’s Health Week. The study also found that just over half of Canadian men either don’t get enough sleep or get too much sleep and nearly 60 per cent don’t get the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-to-strenuous exercise per week.
“We now have a platform to evaluate health behaviours of Canadian men over time. I hope other researchers will use this platform to study different populations around the globe and design targeted interventions to engage men to live healthier lifestyles,” said Dr. Larry Goldenberg, chair of CMHF. “After all, 70 per cent of men’s chronic health conditions are caused by lifestyle and, unlike genetics, can be changed to improve your health.”
Eating habits also factor into a healthy lifestyle. Just over 60 per cent of Canadian men don’t have a healthy diet while nearly 40 per cent have unhealthy alcohol consumption, according to the CMHF study.
But for those looking to boost their health, Wayne Hartrick, president of CMHF says it doesn’t take a lot to move from the unhealthy category into the healthy one.
“Think of these categories as a ladder,” Hartrick said. “Most Canadian men can move up a rung by changing just one unhealthy behaviour. They can go up two rungs by changing two behaviours, like eating five fist-sized servings of fruit and getting seven hours of sleep.”
In Richmond, while the city boasts one of the highest life expectancy rates in the country, Vancouver Coastal Health said from the results to a recent community survey that "overall general and mental health is significantly lower (in Richmond) compared to health authority and regional average. In particular, VCH noted that "reported rates of fruit and vegetable consumption, as well as weekly physical activity, are lower."
To get active in Richmond, consider checking out one of the local parks or trails for a bike ride or a jog. On a rainy day, visit one of the community centre’s fitness centres or attend a fitness class. Looking to eat more fruits and veggies? Check out one of Richmond's farmers' markets.
To see where you fit on CMHF’s “health ladder,” visit their website.
