Do you know the greatest threats to men’s health? The list is surprisingly short — and prevention pays off.

Threat No. 1: Heart disease

Heart disease is a leading men’s health threat. Take charge of heart health by making healthier lifestyle choices. For example:

Don’t smoke. If you smoke or use other tobacco products, ask your doctor to help you quit. It’s also important to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.

• Want to quit but don’t know how? Look into the GatorWell Health Promotion Services Quit Program.

Eat a healthy diet. Choose vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high-fiber foods and lean sources of protein, such as fish. Limit foods high in saturated fat and sodium.

• Not sure how to eat right, or need help developing a plan that works best for you? Contact SHCC Nutrition Services for an appointment.

Manage chronic conditions. If you have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations. If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar under control.

• Always let your SHCC healthcare provider know of any current medical conditions and medications, including vitamins and supplements, as new treatments/medications must always be weighed against current treatments/medications.

Include physical activity in your daily routine. Choose sports or other activities you enjoy, from basketball to brisk walking.

• Need exercise ideas? Check out the wide variety of activities available through RecSports.

Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds increase the risk of heart disease.

Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. Too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure.

• Learn tips and tricks on how to party safely via GatorWell.

Manage stress. If you feel constantly on edge or under assault, your lifestyle habits may suffer. Take steps to reduce stress — or learn to deal with stress in healthy ways.

• Access self-help resources, wellness tips, groups, counselors, psychiatrists and more at the Counseling and Wellness Center.

Threat No. 2: Cancer

Various types of cancer are of particular concern to men, including lung cancer, skin cancer, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer. To reduce the risk of cancer, consider these general tips:

Don’t smoke. Using any type of tobacco puts you on a collision course with cancer. Avoiding exposure to secondhand smoke counts, too.

Maintain a healthy weight. Losing excess pounds — and keeping them off — may lower the risk of various types of cancer.

Get moving. In addition to helping you control your weight, physical activity on its own may lower the risk of certain types of cancer.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Although making healthy selections at the grocery store and at mealtime can’t guarantee cancer prevention, it may help reduce your risk.

Protect yourself from the sun. When you’re outdoors, cover up and use plenty of sunscreen.

• Learn how to best protect your skin from damage and why tanning should be avoided via the Skin Cancer Foundation.

Limit alcohol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so only in moderation. The risk of various types of cancer — including cancer of the colon, lung, kidney and liver — increases with the amount of alcohol you drink and the length of time you’ve been drinking regularly.

Take early detection seriously. Consult your doctor for regular cancer screenings.

Threat No. 3: Accidents

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of fatal accidents among men. To stay safe on the road, use common sense. Wear your seat belt. Follow the speed limit. Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol or any other substances, and don’t drive while sleepy.

A tan, whether you get it on the beach, in a bed, or through incidental exposure, is bad news, any way you acquire it. Tans are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning lamps, and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage. A person’s risk for melanoma — the most serious form of skin cancer — doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns.

No matter what you may hear at tanning salons, the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging (wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots and more), as well as skin cancer. In fact, indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.

What’s startling is that salons continue to advertise tanning as beneficial to their customers’ health. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce surveyed 300 tanning salons nationwide, questioning each about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning, how frequently customers could use tanning beds and about any discounts for students or teens. Released in February 2012, their report found that:

• Nearly all of the salons denied the known risks of tanning. Ninety percent of the salons stated that indoor tanning did not pose a health risk, while over half of the salons denied that indoor tanning would increase the risk of skin cancer.
• Nearly 80 percent of the salons asserted that indoor tanning would be beneficial to the health of a fair-skinned teenage girl. Several salons asserted that indoor tanning would prevent cancer.
• Salons used many approaches to downplay the health risks of indoor tanning. Salons stated that young people are not at risk for developing skin cancer; that rising rates of skin cancer are linked to increased use of sunscreen; that government regulators had certified the safety of indoor tanning; and that “it’s got to be safe, or else they wouldn’t let us do it.” Salons also frequently referred the investigators to industry websites that downplay indoor tanning’s health risks and tout the practice’s alleged health benefits.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that a natural darker skin color means you’re safe, either: Everyone, regardless of skin color, can sunburn. Unfortunately, many patients and even some physicians are under the impression that non-Caucasian people are immune to this disease. That is one reason people of color are diagnosed with skin cancer at later stages when it becomes more difficult to treat. Click here for more detailed information on skin cancer and skin of color.

The good news: If you can SPOT it, you can STOP it! Check your skin head-to-toe every month for anything suspicious, because even painless spots can be dangerous; visit The Skin Cancer Foundation’s website to find out what to look for during a self-examination and learn about the warnings signs of skin cancer.

• Click here to download the American Academy of Dermatology’s “Body Mole Map” to record your spots during your next skin self-exam.

Remember: We are here to help! If something doesn’t seem right, call the UF Student Health Care Center at (352) 392-1161 to make an appointment with your primary care medical team.

Information courtesy of The Skin Cancer Foundation

Important impacts and times for SHCC patients

• Gale Lemerand Drive will be closed from approximately 9 to 11:30 a.m. between the O’Connell Center parking lot entrance and Stadium Road.
• Access to the O’Connell Center parking lot from Gale Lemerand Drive will remain open.

This exercise will involve volunteers with simulated injuries and a large number of law enforcement, emergency and other personnel. U police officers will be stationed around the exercise area to help direct pedestrian and vehicle traffic. There may also be increased activity in and around the Academic Health Science Center. 

Additional impacts and times

• Garage 7 (O’Connell Center): Standard parking in the O’Connell Center lot will not be disrupted.
• Ben Hill Griffin Stadium Access: Pedestrian access to the ground level of the Stadium concourse betwee Gates 1 and 18 will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. Pedestrian traffic outside the southwest corner of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the southeast corner of the O’Connell Center will be limited between 8 and 11:30 a.m. All University Athletic Association Administrative offices, University of Florida offices in Stadium West, the Gator Ticket Office and the Heavener Football Complex main entrance will remain accessible.

UF remains committed to the safety of the campus community, and participation in this exercise is an important component in maintaining and improving university emergency operations.