There was a one-man stage show that was popular years ago called “Defending The Caveman”. The comedian that wrote and performed in the show focused on the differences between men and women. There were many of the “usuals” that were poked fun of. For example, men’s reluctance to ask for directions when lost as opposed to women that will be quick to ask for help. Another is the tendency for women to lay awake at night worrying if their teen is out of the house whereas men are peacefully sleeping.
Well, here is another one for the show if it ever comes back: Men vs. Women in the wearing of protective masks. A study was reported yesterday showing that men, much more so than women, shun wearing masks. Why? The most common reason cited was because it made them look “weak”.
Let’s now turn to the weight control arena: There are 5% more women that fit the definition of obesity (BMI greater than 30) than men. However, over the years, there are 700% more women that have entered the Serotonin-Plus Weight Program than men. What are the reasons for this marked discrepancy?
Well, back to the “mask reason”: Men, much more so than women, tend to be “risk takers”, and when it come to masks, a common attitude is: “I am not going to let some f—ing virus scare me.” Turning to weight control, there probably is a similar attitude: “I will eat/drink what I want and I will not be scared of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer…other people may get this but not me.”
Women, on the average, live 6-8 years longer than men and this is one of the reasons: Women tend to take health issues more seriously, will be more apt to go in for preventive checkups, have preventive testing, wear masks, and yes, be more concerned about weight issues.
So, a message for the men out there: Stop the Caveman/Macho stuff: Go see your doctor for checkups, wear your masks and lose that weight. For the women out there: Kick your Caveman’s ass to take health issues, including Covid and weight, seriously.
