Of all the things in the fields of both public health and healthcare that pique my interest and attention most, it’s health disparities, specifically the numbers 5 and 7. In a country as productive and innovative as ours, it’s a particularly vexing reality check whenever I’m faced with those two numbers, which I’ve listed below...Continue reading
Category: Boys
Breaking the Mother-Son Dynamic: Resetting the Patterns of a Man’s Life and Loves
Thomas Wolfe says, “You can never go home again.” However, to go forward, I have to go backward from time to time. I return to the places where the dreams began: my hometown and the small college where I did my undergraduate work. That’s where I’m sitting right now, writing these pages. Through the windows I see the amphitheater...Continue reading
Time to Clean Out the Clean Plate Club
Whether we’re buying a new car or a bagel and a cup of coffee, it’s human nature to want to get the best deal. That’s probably why we have a tendency to eat everything that’s put in front of us. Twenty years ago, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing–you could probably have cleaned your plate...Continue reading
What Men Need to Know about STDs
What do you know about STDs? Probably not enough. Check out this informative infographic from Carvaka. You may have to click to enlarge. Source: Carvaka
Lack of Education Could Kill You. Really.
The warnings started when I was in junior high (now called middle school). My parents, both of whom were in the first generation of our family to go to college, started warning me that if I didn’t quit fooling around at school and do my homework I might not get a degree. And without a...Continue reading
When Being Number One Is Bad News
It’s no secret that guilt plays havoc with our health. People who feel guilty for extended periods of time are, on average, more depressed, more anxious, more stressed, and have a weaker immune system than those who go through life without the guilt. They’re also more likely to engage in risky, destructive behavior, including self-medicating...Continue reading
Epigenetics: The Real Reason You Are Who You Are
You share 99.5% of your DNA with the person sitting next to you. In fact, you share 97.5% of your DNA with mice. And, believe it or not, 50% of banana DNA is identical to yours! So what makes you so special? Epigenetics. The New Plastics Remember the scene in “The Graduate” when the smug, older businessman...Continue reading
Winter Ain’t Over, and Neither is S.A.D
If you’re feeling some of those winter blues, check out this helpful infographic on S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Dissorder).
How Far Would You Go to Prove Your Masculinity?
There seems to be no end to the things guys will do to prove their masculinity–especially around someone whose attention we’d like to attract. If you’ve ever read Mark Twain’s classic book Tom Sawyer, you probably remember how Tom tries to win the heart of Becky Thatcher by doing all sorts of crazy (and dangerous)...Continue reading
A trip to the White House
It was a “seminal” event, and by White House invitation. The topic? The future of men’s health. Why are men medically underserved in America? What cultural factors are at play that we can change? Who should be involved? Seeds of Change An impressive array of stakeholders was present for the dialogue. Hats off to the...Continue reading