Father's Day Reminders: Check your health

Happy Father's Day to all our fathers, stepfathers, grandfathers and men who care for children. And while we're thanking them for taking care of us, perhaps we can remind them to take care of themselves by checking their blood pressure and blood glucose levels, controlling their diets and alcohol consumption, eliminating smoking, and checking for colon and prostate cancer as scheduled. Statistics show that men are more likely to put off routine checkups and ignore symptoms of a health problem than women, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They are more likely to smoke, drink and engage in risky or dangerous behaviors that can threaten health. Men are also less likely to have a regular doctor, HHS said. However, the women in their lives can help them reach better health outcomes through education and awareness. Women obtain health information from doctors, the television, the Internet, and printed materials and pass it on to the men in their lives. It's a good practice to discuss health matters with our significant others so that we prevent illnesses or control them in the earliest stages.