Mens’ Health Week 2010 in Hungary saw several organisations coming together to deliver a conference on physical activity and the prevention of cancer, a new leaflet and a significant screening programme for men.
The Week was organised by the National Institute for Health Development, the Men’s Health Team of the Pápai Páriz National Society for Health Education, the Health Education Department of the Local Government of Budapest’s 17th District, the Hungarian League Against Cancer, and the Men’s Health Club. It was supported by the Hungarian League Against Cancer and the pharmaceutical company Sanofi–Aventis. The electronic and printed media released several news items about the events of the Week.
The Men’s Health Club offered screening, pictured right, to more than 100 men including urulogical screening, PSA examination and exercises in water. One participant of the programmes was a well-known meteorologist from the television. Since the Men’s Health Club, which provides information on diseases and treatments, launched its website in 2006, more than 8000 men have joined.
The scientific conference Men’s Physical Activity and its Role in the Prevention of Cancer was opened by the Chief Medical Officer of Hungary and attended by doctors, health workers, and employees of interested civil organizations. Six presentations were heard..
Andrologist Prof. Dr. György Papp’s presentation on aging men emphasised the prevention methods and early recognition of benign prosate problems and the role of smoking, alcohol, nutrition, physical activity and their genetic background.
Life is easier if you're lighter
The presentation of professor emeritus Dr. Tamás Simon Life is Easier if You Are Lighter, based on his own experience of decreasing his weight from 117kg to 87kg through diet and exercise, detailed the differences between genders in stomach obesity, prevalence of diabetes, high blood pressure, high lipid level, and heart attack. He said that being 25% overweight increases the risk of death by 75%.
Anthropologist Ms. Anna Susánszky’s Gender Differences in the Relation of Stress and Physical Activity reported on the harmful effects of different factors such as smoking and alcohol that reduce stress on the short run, but increase it in the long run whereas sport and physical activity, she pointed out, are always protecting factors.
Edina Gábor, General Director of the National Institute for Health Development said that for four years the Institute had been organizing a national life-style changing team competition for workplaces with more than hundred teams taking part. The institute also regularly organised community-based senior walking clubs.
The leaflet International Relations in the Activities for the Hungarian Men’s Health was disseminated among conference participants. It included the activities of the European Men’s Health Forum, the programmes of Men’s Health Weeks since 2004 and the Hungarian presentations and posters from several international conferences.
