A study by the UK government in 2023 showed that the mortality rate for men with cardiovascular disease was 60% higher in men than in women. It also found that the rate for cancer was 41% higher in men as compared to women.

The saddest part of this is that chronic disease is often preventable.

It’s pretty well-known that men aged 40+ tend to be the worst at looking after themselves. I have first-hand experience of this!

Many of us put our chances of developing chronic disease later in life down to our genetics. However, this does not have to be the case. It’s worth remembering that while our genes ‘load the gun’, the environment in which we bathe our genes is what ‘fires the gun’. Food for thought when we want to understand how to take the inevitability out of developing chronic disease (whilst feeling great and making ourselves optimally resilient to day-to-day life while we’re at it!)

When we consider “the environment in which we bathe our genes”, we are, of course, talking about our lifestyle, and the health and wellbeing of that complex biological machine that we refer to as our body.

If you’re someone who has received a ‘warning shot’ from your medical practitioner, whether it’s being pre-diabetic, having high blood pressure, or being clinically obese (to name a few of the common ones) then it’s time to consider ‘unloading the gun’ by looking holistically at your health.

The ‘holistic’ approach is important because the key dimensions of health and wellbeing (such as diet, how we move our bodies, quality of sleep, levels of stress, and mental health) are all inter-dependent and contribute to that ‘loading of the gun’ in ways that will surprise you.

This is why health coaching became a passion of mine. It’s currently one of the only health related professions where a client can be offered as much time as is necessary to understand their whole-health, lifestyle and the environment that their genes are exposed to.  Only then can a tailored lifestyle medicine plan be formulated for your uniqueness!  With referrals to medical specialists where required, of course.

Watch out for health coaches, both privately and in the workplace.  Thanks to the likes of UKIHCA and BSLM, we are a growing force for good.

For both men and women, there’s a qualified, registered health coach out there to support you here: https://www.ukihca.com/