1. Cutting back on booze
As of 2016, men are advised to not exceed 14 units a week (about five pints of 4.5% ABV beer), down from the previous limit of 21. So it’s now even easier to exceed this target. The good news is that you can cut down just as easily: the NHS advises swapping pints for bottles, ditching stronger beers for weaker ones, and switching to a single spirit and low-calorie mixer. Your waistline - and every major organ - will thank you for it.
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2. Not bottling up stress
You may not think of stress as a bad habit, but it’s hitting men hard – we‘re four times more likely than women to be off sick owing to work stress – and our habits are making it worse. Men are twice as likely to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, a survey of more than 3,000 people by insurer Medicash showed. Why? Because women are better at talking to others about their concerns. You should do the same.
3. Slapping on the sun cream
It’s spring, so the sun might make a brief appearance soon. And perhaps it’s because of its fleeting visits to these isles that we’re so bad at guarding against its effects - only 52% of men use sunscreen, according to research from Mintel, even though skin cancer is the most common form of the disease in the UK. Protect your biggest organ (definitely your skin) by always applying sun cream before heading outside.
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4. Treating your teeth right
Women are almost twice as likely to have regular dental check-ups as men according to the Journal Of Periodontology, while the American Dental Association found that only two-thirds of men brush their teeth twice a day. Not taking care of your gnashers has worse effects than just losing your teeth: research has found a link between gum disease and heart disease, as well as erectile disfunction and dementia.
