Focus on men's health a rising global phenomenon

International experts discuss beneficial lifestyle changes at free panel lecture 

With the emergence of men’s health policy and programs in places like Australia, Ireland and Brazil, men’s health is fast becoming the next big thing in smart preventive care.

"It's quite fashionable to focus on empowering men to be healthy," says John Oliffe, associate professor at the School of Nursing at UBC's Vancouver campus.

Oliffe is part of an international panel of experts giving a free public talk about men's health on Wednesday, October 10, at the UBC's Okanagan campus.

The forum will focus on three leading projects being developed here in the Okanagan and across the globe to help support healthy lifestyle choices for men:

• The ManUp Project: Improving Men’s Physical Activity and Nutrition (Australia)
• The  Men’s Health and Wellbeing Programme (Ireland)
• The Dads In Gear Project: Active and Smoke-free Dads (Canada)

"Large numbers of men are diagnosed with chronic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer," says Joan Bottorff, director of the Institute for Healthy Living and Chronic Disease Prevention at UBC's Okanagan campus. "The risk of chronic diseases like these can be significantly reduced with lifestyle changes including tobacco reduction, increasing physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight.  Yet, there are very few health promotion programs that specifically focus on promoting men’s healthy lifestyles."

The forum is free and open to anyone interested in men’s health, supporting men in making lifestyle changes, and men’s health research.

"Attendees will learn about how masculine norms and values have informed these programs in Australia, Ireland and Canada, and men’s responses to the new programs will also be discussed," says Bottorff.

The panel also includes Cristina Caperchione, professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at UBC's Okanagan campus, as well as men’s health researchers Mitch Duncan from Central Queensland University, Australia, and Noel Richardson from the Institute of Technology Carlow, Ireland.

"Australia and Ireland are world leaders in men’s health, so we are delighted that Dr. Duncan and Dr. Richardson accepted our invitation to participate," says Bottorff.  "This is an opportunity for people in our community to benefit from the knowledge of leading experts in the field of men’s health."

The panel presentation, titled Game On! Healthy Lifestyles for Men, takes place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the University Centre Ballroom (UNC200), 3272 University Way, UBC’s Okanagan campus, Kelowna.

Attend in person, or to join via webinar or teleconference, please RSVP to http://healthymen.eventbrite.ca.

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