Originally published June 19 2005
UK men's health forum warns males about obesity
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Men's Health Forum told BBC News that most warnings and assistance programs for weight were directed toward women, but more men are overweight or obese than women in the U.K.; a survey found many men were against seeking help with their weight.
The Men's Health Forum said a change in the way weight campaigns were aimed at men was needed to avert the crisis.
It said part of the problem was that messages were often targeted at women - despite more men (65%) than women (55%) being overweight or obese.
More than half of men said they would not go to a GP for advice, while 87% were against joining slimming clubs.
The survey, of 1,028 men aged 16 to 64, revealed men were more likely to be motivated to lose weight to help them "chat someone up" (43%) than for health reasons (39%).
The men surveyed also showed a lack of understanding about the health implications of being overweight.
Projections for 2010, based on present trends show that 75% of men will be overweight or obese by 2010, compared to two thirds of women, the forum said.
The new guide, the HGV Man manual, has been produced in conjunction with car manual publishers Haynes.
It delivers a health message in a male-friendly way, referring to seeing a doctor as having an MOT.
Dr Ian Banks, president of the Men's Health Forum and author of HGV Man, said: "Men are often less well informed about nutrition and how to lose weight than women.
"Currently, health messages about weight loss are most geared to women in ways that men don't connect with.
"Support for male weight loss has to be provided in a range of settings, such as the workplace and online, as well as through the GP practice."
"Reducing waist size alone can lead to significant improvements in health, so being able to notch in a belt can be a good and simple way of gauging healthy weight loss."
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