Father’s Day is an opportunity to express love and gratitude to the men who play a significant role in the lives of others. As a father and grandfather, I am very much looking forward to a family dinner with my two sons and my grandson as well as my wife and my daughters-in-law.
As a men’s health lawyer, the holiday makes me think about the connection between fatherhood and health and ask the question: is fatherhood good for our health?
June is the month of men’s health. Proponents have traditionally used Father’s Day as an opportunity to highlight men’s need to take better care of themselves and play off a man’s heightened awareness of longevity when surrounded by family.
While I applaud these efforts and can contribute to them in my own way, men still have a long way to go. Beyond traditional recognition, Father’s Day is certainly a call to action for men, but perhaps also for family and friends who care about the fate of the men they love.
Fatherhood needs support and encouragement, and offers men a family circle where children are ideally suited to provide that inspiration.
Men’s Health: A Sobering Story
In a sobering article from 2019, Harvard Medical School reports that men die younger than women and are more burdened with disease as they grow older. They get sick younger and have more chronic diseases than women.
Although women see doctors more often than men, men cost our society much more for medical care beyond the age of 65. Combine these facts with the disproportionately high death toll among men from COVID-19 – heavily influenced by their underlying health conditions – and waking up. Call for behavior change screams to heaven.
The positive and negative aspects of fatherhood
While there is research to suggest that becoming a father has some physical disadvantages, this and other research offers a strong positive perspective on fatherhood and a man’s health prospects, especially as a source of motivation.
According to the University of California, Berkeley, new studies suggest that fathers with a sense of purpose are healthier, happier, and stronger in the face of challenge. In its investigation into the role of the father, the Institute for Family Studies suggests that married and resident fathers who were involved were healthier than other men and had longer lifespans due to the reduction in risky behaviors. The Journal of Men’s Health & Gender reports that fathers who lose custody are consistently at greater risk of chronic health conditions, mental impairment, and death.
On the flip side, the Journal of Marriage and Family reported on a study that found that fathering leads to weight gain and deterioration in self-reported health, but reduces alcohol consumption. According to the study, the transition to fatherhood leads to positive and negative changes in health outcomes and behavior.
Equal Parents and the Influence of a Father
The changing roles of fathers and a movement towards deeper parental engagement represent a bode well for promoting healthy behavior in fathers.
The University of Texas says the involvement of fathers has increased dramatically in the past few decades, while at the same time the role of fathers in their families has shifted from the idea of fathers as distant breadwinners to a more holistic realization that they are equal co-parents.
In describing the changing roles of fathers, the American Psychological Association reports that the influence of fatherly love on children’s development is as great as that of a mother’s love. Fatherly love helps children develop a sense of their place in the world, which supports their social, emotional, and cognitive development and function. In addition, children who receive more love from their fathers are less likely to struggle with behavioral or substance abuse problems.
According to Pediatric Associates of Franklin, Tennessee, fathers play a role in every child’s life that cannot be fulfilled by others. This role can have a huge impact on a child and help them become who they are.
Research by the US Department of Health’s National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse shows that children with healthy, dedicated fathers do better in school, are more likely to graduate from high school, and have more friends. They also have fewer mental health problems, smoke less, abuse drugs or alcohol, engage in risky behavior, have sex earlier, or become teenage parents.
A simple game plan
The basics are pretty simple. Your key is action. Here is a simple game plan from Dr. Biren Saraiya from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. that any man can follow and a loved one can encourage.
Get regular checkups. A routine exam is the right step to improve your chances of living longer, healthier lives. Get checkups like colonoscopy and prostate cancer screening. Focus on heart health. Stay physically active and eat healthy. Find ways to deal with stress, such as exercise, meditation, and time management.
The gift of life
Research shows that fatherhood offers a significant win-win proposition for fathers that extends to their children as well. While not absolute and without some drawbacks, fatherhood seems to give men the opportunity to harness the emotional drive that comes from their parental responsibilities. The most important thing is to be there for your children and to be healthy enough to meet their needs. Unfortunately, this opportunity is too often missed.
One big difference this year is that COVID-19 has highlighted the vulnerability of men and exposed the consequences of unhealthy behavior much more directly. Perhaps this additional context will make 2021 different. It’s because of the fathers and the people who love them.
Make this Father’s Day the one that will lead you on a new path of health and happiness. And restore health to those who love a man by encouraging him to commit to these simple steps and use your powers of persuasion. No exaggeration, it really would be the gift of a lifetime.
Louis Bezich, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Cooper University Health Care, is the author of Crack The Code: 10 Proven Secrets that Motivate Healthy Behavior and Inspire Fulfillment in Men Over 50. Read more from Louis on his website.
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/whats-the-best-fathers-day-gift-urge-your-dad-to-adopt-healthy-lifestyles/
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