Why Don't Men Go to the Doctor?

Ok, guys. Time for some shocking news. Many of us don't go to the doctor. I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true. Here it is by the numbers (2011 study):

• Half of all men 18-50 don't have a primary care physician.
• 40 percent of men in their 40s have never had their cholesterol checked.
• 43 percent say they are sedentary, usually sitting while at work.

The No. 1 reason men say they don't go to the doctor? Not enough time. But we have time to watch football games all day on Sunday, watch 20 hours of TV a week and play video games for hours on end (you know who you are). 

Honestly, that's a ridiculous excuse and it recently got even weaker. I used to go to a doctor that was 30 minutes from my office, meaning I lost at least two hours on the day of an appointment. Wow, a whole two hours. Sounds pretty sad when you break it out that way, doesn't it?

Now, aside from the fact that two hours once a year to make sure you're healthly isn't much time at all, there are even quicker options right here in our neighborhood. A new family medicine office just opened in in the Oak Grove shopping center, and there are several others I've seen in the North Druid Hills area. Can't get much more convenient than an office that's less than ten minutes from most of our houses.

And in my case there's a new two doors down from my doctor's office. Fifteen dollars a month for all the exercise equipment most of us need. Even if you only go three days a week and spend 30 minutes on the treadmill, that's better than you were doing before. The in Toco Hill is pretty convenient too.

I should add that research also shows that married men are more likely to go to the doctor because our wives bug us of course. That's not a bad thing if we end up living an extra 30 years, is it? Seriously, who doesn't want to live to see their kids reach retirement age?

A lot of guys I've talked to know they should be going to the doctor. I get a lot of sheepish nods and comments like, "Yeah, I should really do that."  

Sometimes they're not going because they're afraid of what the doctor's going to tell them: "Loose weight. Cut down on the beer. Quit eating so many burgers."

And many of us will need some medications to help with cholesterol, or high blood pressure or other things that happen to us when we breach the 40 year boundary. It's not a sign of weakness to take medicine that keeps you alive and healthy. It's really just selfish and foolish not to.  

Hey, I'm not perfect. I've had times in my life when I haven't been good about all this, but I'm trying to do better. If this gets a couple of my friends and neighbors to make that call then I'll count this as a successful blog.

(And no, I have no financial relationship with either Workout Anytime or the Oak Grove Family Medicine practice.)