# Mendthegap
Recently I’ve been thinking about health. Now, as someone who’s been working on this magazine for almost 13 years, I realise that might sound a little odd – remiss, even. But sometimes life forces a different perspective on you.
A fortnight ago, as I write, my father – my sincerest friend – died less than six weeks after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was just 67. My wife is currently in hospital, plugged into an intravenous drip of antibiotics, having contracted pneumonia. My response to the necessity of juggling grief, the dismal bureaucracy of death, plus the carousel of childcare and work, has been varied. Part of me has been predictably destructive (latching on to all the usual crutches a public house can provide) while another has been almost ruthlessly disciplined (running relentlessly every day to keep mind and body in check). These are the kinds of things that get you thinking about health. That’s real health – not just the kind you see in the mirror.
I’m conscious that perhaps this is what is called ‘over-sharing’ in modern parlance. That you don’t need to be burdened by my shit. So shoot me. I make no apology. Men don’t share enough. This much was made palpably clear when we interviewed 15,000 UK men this month about the state of their mental health – another criminally undervalued, misunderstood aspect of wellbeing that doesn’t show up in your reflection.
For some time now, we have been drawing attention to this poor, neglected area of men’s health. In particular, with our #Mendthegap campaign, we’ve sought to highlight the disparity between attitudes to – and investment in – physical and mental health. Our feature on p70, The Measure Of The Man, is a comprehensive review of the state we’re in. In short, it’s not great. Perhaps not terrible, but we could be doing a lot, lot better.
Still, things are changing, you feel – albeit at a glacial place. Government, society, even your most hard-boiled of mates, we’re all recognising that this is something serious that needs addressing. After all, when suicide remains the biggest killer of men under 50, how could it not? So, please, do me a favour this month. Get yourself Chris Hemsworth’s arms. Make new inroads towards that elusive PB. Then, when you’re done, have a think about real health. It matters much more than you probably realise.