By Martin Banks - 15th June 2011
We must be carful not to over-regulate
Robert Sturdy
UK deputy Robert Sturdy has thrown his weight behind calls to raise awareness of men's health issues.
The ECR member was speaking in a debate in parliament which heard that deaths among men of working age are double those of women.
The hearing saw the publication of a report, 'The state of men's health in Europe,' which calls for men to be "explicitly" targeted in health campaigns.
The report said that on an average 630,000 men die in the EU each year compared with 300,000 women.
The EU-commissioned report says that data proves men's health "disadvantage is an issue of inequity and not biological inevitability".
Its author, Alan White of Leeds Metropolitan University, said, "For the first time we have a clear picture of men's health across the EU."
Addressing the debate, Sturdy said, "A healthy diet and a healthy lifestyle are essential not just for our general wellbeing, but lifestyle choices are incredibly important when it comes to fighting cancer. It is estimated that 30 per cent of all cancer mortalities are related to our life decisions, particularly excessive drinking and smoking."
"As legislators, our power does not simply lie in the ability to create and amend legislation but we are in a unique position to able to raise issues and steer the discussion."
"It is important that we nudge people into making the right lifestyle choices through campaigns such as this, rather than force them to do so."
"'We must be carful not to over-regulate lest we strangle the scientific community and hamper cancer research and clinical trails. It is imperative that we work with cancer organisations and research institutions to ensure that legislation has a positive and not negative effect on the fight against cancer. That is why events such as this are important because they bring together legislators, patients representatives, health professionals and experts."
Iain Banks, president of the European Men's health forum, told the event that unless a "fundamental" change is made in the approach to men's health, the EU will "suffer both socially and economically".
He said, "We have seen great improvements in life expectancy because older people, if they make it to retirement age, are living longer.
"The great black hole is men of working age where we have seen very little improvement in the death rates in recent years.
"These men have been neglected for too long. We need a wide ranging and fundamental change in policy. This is the group we need to be targeting."
