Men: Give your body warrant of fitness

Men no longer have to stand up, as the emphasis goes on ‘‘measuring up’’.

Two Cambridge women Helen Vaughan and Delia Edmeades said men should be alert to the consequences of not measuring up.

In a change from the Body Mass Index, medical professionals are being encouraged to use the height to waist measurement to determine if men are at risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Edmeades and Vaughan are the organisers of the Men’s Health Event, exclusively focussed on men’s health, for Cambridge men.

Registered nurse Vaughan said statistics showed men were far worse in a wide range of mental and physical health issues compared to women.

‘‘About 3000 men die a year from preventable diseases and yet are less likely to seek help.’’

She said the attitude of invincibility is wrong and urges men to be more forthcoming in seeking medical advice.

Vaughan likened a regular health check to a car where a routine inspection and tuning will assist it running efficiently. ‘‘The body is the same.’’ The Men’s Health Event provides an excellent opportunity for men to see many medical professionals covering a wide range of issues.

‘‘We are encouraging men to bring their partners along as support and to help men to speak about their issues.’’

It will be an interactive day where men can collect a warrant of fitness card and receive primary health screening, which may assist with early detection of issues.

The event will provide free health screening for heart disease, diabetes, as well as advice on screening for cancer.

The Cancer Society will have their ‘‘colossal colon’’ on site, an opportunity to learn more about bowel cancer.

There will be GPs on site who will do weight vs height ratios to help determine heart and diabetes risk.

Mobile pharmacists from the Midland Community Pharmacists Group will be available to help with medicine use reviews and to help sort out any prescription issues. Employers are being encouraged to give staff some time to come along for these health checks.

The venue for the Men’s Health Event is the Cambridge Baptist Church between 10 am and 2 pmon March 16.