International Men’s Health Week started on June 10th and ends on June 16th. It is celebrated each year during the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. Men’s Health Week was started in the United States by Congress in 1994.
The bills creating Men’s Health Week were sponsored by former Senator Bob Dole and former Congressman Bill Richardson. The sponsors cited the cost-effectiveness of a shift from treatment to prevention in health care emphasis when presenting the bill. The supporters of Men’s Health Week also noted that prevention requires public awareness and designating a week would spread information on preventing illnesses affecting males, which includes nationwide events and screenings.
To quote Congressman Bill Richardson (Congressional Record, H3905-H3906, May 24, 1994): “Recognizing and preventing men’s health problems is not just a man’s issue. Because of its impact on wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters, men’s health is truly a family issue.”
Check out the Presidential Message on Men’s Health Week for 2019 by clicking HERE.
The purpose of Men’s Health Week is to heighten awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. Father’s Day was chosen as the anchor to make use of the extra attention paid to male family members near that holiday. Men’s Health Week provides an opportunity to educate the public about what can be done to improve the state of men’s health while providing free and convenient health services to boys and men who wouldn’t otherwise receive such care.
Check out these statistics: * Men are dying an average of 5 years younger than women * Men lead 9 out of 10 of the top causes of death * Men have a higher suicide death rate than women * Men account for 92% of fatal workplace injuries * Men do not see physicians for a physical exam nearly as often as women * 30% of men experience depression, yet only 1 in 4 actually talk about it
Source: https://www.menshealthmonth.org/week.html https://health.gov
Edna Dimataga-Fernandez founded The Wellness Institute in 2013. The company utilizes a holistic model of wellness consulting focusing on the 6 dimensions of organizational well-being: physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual & financial health. The Wellness Institute provides holistic health assessments, corporate well-being workshops & wellness consultations with holistic health practitioners. Wellness-Spring, the company’s holistic health store, sells organic & non-toxic health & beauty products. A portion of the proceeds is donated back to causes that support women, children, health, wellness & education. She has worked & consulted for companies in the insurance & financial services industry, the medical & behavioral health field and the non-profit sector. Edna holds a B.A. in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She is a Past President (2010-11) of the National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors - Los Angeles Chapter and is an approved Continuing Education Provider for the California Department of Insurance.