Manual to keep men in top condition
Discussion
Manual to keep men in top condition
By Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) - Men understand spark plugs and carburettors but are reluctant to tackle health issues so medical experts have borrowed a few tips from car manuals to produce a new male maintenance guide.
Described as a marriage of men and motors, the Haynes Man Manual which was launched on Wednesday takes a no-nonsense approach to men's health by offering maintenance tips, illustrations and explanations for male problems in car maintenance terms.
Whether it's impotence or indigestion, diarrhoea or depression, the manual attempts to use humour and simple language to encourage men to maintain their bodies as carefully as they would their beloved cars.
"We want to encourage men to get over their embarrassment and head-in-the-sand mentality and go to see a doctor as soon as something goes wrong with their body," said Dr Ian Banks, the author of the manual and president of the Men's Health Forum, a health charity.
An estimated four out of five men with treatable conditions such as diabetes and impotence delay seeing their doctor and may suffer additional problems as a result.
IGNORING THE OBVIOUS
If the initial launch in Britain is a success, the Men's Health Forum director Peter Baker said it could be expanded to other countries.
"We will look at any opportunity to make this as widely accessible as possible. Sections will also be put on our website (www.menshealth.co.uk)," he told Reuters.
Men read car manuals and they like information that is presented in that way so it seemed an obvious format to deal with health issues.
"Men tend to have a mechanistic way of understanding themselves. They see their body as bits that are bolted together," said Baker.
First aid advice in the manual is listed under Roadside Repair, tips on staying healthy can be found in the chapter titled Routine Maintenance and digestive ailments and problems in the nether regions are dealt with in the Fuel and Exhaust section.
Banks said impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), is an example of an embarrassing condition that men tend to ignore.
"Not only is their delay in seeking treatment irrational because we can treat ED very effectively, it can potentially be deadly as ED can be an important indicator of serious underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure," he said in a statement.
If men are not "firing on all cylinders" the manual advises them to "get to your man mechanic (doctor) for a check-up."
Faulty exhausts (constipation) can be fixed quite easily, it added. To cope with the inevitable effects of ageing it advises a regular body service to help keep you running like a Rolls Royce.
By Patricia Reaney
LONDON (Reuters) - Men understand spark plugs and carburettors but are reluctant to tackle health issues so medical experts have borrowed a few tips from car manuals to produce a new male maintenance guide.
Described as a marriage of men and motors, the Haynes Man Manual which was launched on Wednesday takes a no-nonsense approach to men's health by offering maintenance tips, illustrations and explanations for male problems in car maintenance terms.
Whether it's impotence or indigestion, diarrhoea or depression, the manual attempts to use humour and simple language to encourage men to maintain their bodies as carefully as they would their beloved cars.
"We want to encourage men to get over their embarrassment and head-in-the-sand mentality and go to see a doctor as soon as something goes wrong with their body," said Dr Ian Banks, the author of the manual and president of the Men's Health Forum, a health charity.
An estimated four out of five men with treatable conditions such as diabetes and impotence delay seeing their doctor and may suffer additional problems as a result.
IGNORING THE OBVIOUS
If the initial launch in Britain is a success, the Men's Health Forum director Peter Baker said it could be expanded to other countries.
"We will look at any opportunity to make this as widely accessible as possible. Sections will also be put on our website (www.menshealth.co.uk)," he told Reuters.
Men read car manuals and they like information that is presented in that way so it seemed an obvious format to deal with health issues.
"Men tend to have a mechanistic way of understanding themselves. They see their body as bits that are bolted together," said Baker.
First aid advice in the manual is listed under Roadside Repair, tips on staying healthy can be found in the chapter titled Routine Maintenance and digestive ailments and problems in the nether regions are dealt with in the Fuel and Exhaust section.
Banks said impotence, or erectile dysfunction (ED), is an example of an embarrassing condition that men tend to ignore.
"Not only is their delay in seeking treatment irrational because we can treat ED very effectively, it can potentially be deadly as ED can be an important indicator of serious underlying conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure," he said in a statement.
If men are not "firing on all cylinders" the manual advises them to "get to your man mechanic (doctor) for a check-up."
Faulty exhausts (constipation) can be fixed quite easily, it added. To cope with the inevitable effects of ageing it advises a regular body service to help keep you running like a Rolls Royce.
(just spat coffee all over my keyboard 
) 
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