Men's Health Week 2005: A Call to Action!

Monday 13 June 2005

Sunday 19 June 2005

Throughout Northern Ireland

Free

We are delighted to announce details of the first ever Men's Health Week in Ireland, which will take place from Monday 13th - Sunday 19th June 2005. This week is being coordinated in Northern Ireland by the Men's Health Forum in Ireland (an all-island body that aims to promote and enhance the health and well being of men and boys) in partnership with the Health Promotion Agency for Northern Ireland.

The theme for Men's Health Week this year is "Males and Obesity". We hope to raise awareness of this serious concern through exposure to our "Hazardous Waist" posters and the "Small changes big benefits" booklets. These publications both highlight this issue and give practical advice on how to make an effective change. We encourage all organisations to contribute to Men's Health Week 2005 by displaying these posters and making the booklets available to everyone they have contact with.

Contrary to popular belief, more men than women suffer from excess weight. Indeed, the recently published report from the National Taskforce on Obesity in Ireland outlined that between ten and twenty percent of men are obese, and that this can lead to stigma, prejudice, low self-esteem, isolation and humiliation. Furthermore, 45% of men on the island of Ireland do not exercise adequately - according to a study by Balanda and Wilde in 2004. Additionally, a recent World Health Organisation study of 40 countries found that the United Kingdom had the eighth highest rate of obesity in men and predicted that if present trends continue, more than three quarters of the UK male population will be overweight by 2010. These frightening statistics highlight the need for action.

Men's Health Week is an excellent opportunity to target men and to raise awareness about men's health issues in general, and obesity, in particular. We hope you will take part in this initiative. Currently, International Men's Health Week is celebrated throughout North America, much of Europe and Australia. However, to date, this important event has not been part of the calendar in Ireland. Thus, the opportunity to highlight the health issues facing local men has been lost - until now.

In addition to making this information available, we also encourage you to find a way to mark this week. For example, we are aware of GPs calling in their male patients for an "MOT Check"; men's health information sessions in community centres; health-focused seminars for those working with men and boys; the launch of attitudinal research into men's issues; physical activity challenges for men...

The Men's Health Forum in Ireland is keen to publicise the range of events that are being planned during Men's Health Week. If you or your organisation are planning an initiative, we would like to hear about it, and to put the details onto our website (www.mhfi.org). To submit an event to the web site please contact either Trisha McQueen or Colin Fowler at Tel: 02890 310891 or Email: mhw@mensproject.org

Please visit the web sites of both the Health Promotion Agency (www.hpani.org) and the Men's Health Forum in Ireland (www.mhfi.org) for further relevant information.

Colin Fowler or Trisha McQueen
The Men's Project
Tel: 02890 310891
Email: mhw@mensproject.org
www.mhfi.org