The men are all too busy arguing with the feminists on feminist topics.

It's a strange phenomenon. It may be as you suggest. 'Maybe men have become so used to getting the short end of the stick that they accept it as their lot. '

Or maybe men just don't actually believe anything will ever really be done. It seems to be the consensus, that until the voices of victim feminists are drowned out nobody will ever listen to any initiative directed at improving men's lives.

'That is a pity because there are many, many women and children who would like their husbands and dads to be around for a fit and healthy old age'

Interesting you frame the importance of men's health in relation to how it may affect women and children. Maybe that's the most telling argument here, as I suggested above.

I remember the first time AGW got some traction was when an economist said it might cost us money. Also I remember the Dads groups started getting somewhere with the CSA when they were backed by the disgruntled second wives.

I've just found this article. Interesting that at least there is acknowledgement for the issue - thats a start.

The article seemed to be a smattering of bit's and pieces around mens health (with a swipe at 4WD's tossed in as already noted). Idea's for policy discussion.

I'll run with that and toss in some of my idea's and thoughts.

It might help is to reduce the time many workers need to spend commuting (and free it up for other healthier activities).

How many jobs really need everybody to commute into a CBD location to go to an office tower (where the stairs cannot be used between floors) and talk to clients on the phone. A lot of those jobs could easily be moved to suburban hub's saving a lot of commuting time for employee's, saving expensive city rents for employers and cutting back on much of the transport bottlenecks being experienced in many of our major cities.

Significant improvements on bikeways could make riding to and from work more viable (I can do it in about the same time as the train trip but some sections don't have a bikeway or other options which keeps cyclists away from trucks.

Redirect the public money which goes into professional sport into support for healtier eating and recreational activities with good health outcomes for participants.

Perhaps better funding options for medical procedures to fix injuries which make exercise harder. An example being knee surgery which is not covered by the medicare safety net for medical expenses because it involves being checked into a hospital. People with crook knee's will struggle to maintain a workable exercise reigem.

R0bert

RObert

Much of what is proposed deals with symptoms, not causes. I suggest that a much more fundamental approach is needed. Men, not women (although their comments could be valuable in due course) need to sit down together and look at how society defines masculinity and whether that is something that helps, or hinders, boys and men.

There is a huge area to look at, for example risk taking seems to be a necessary and enjoyable part of being a male, but in that respect our modern western society seems to have regulated most opportunities for boys to be boys (and men to be men) out of existence. That cannot be healthy for men and obviously it isn't when one considers the injury and death of young men from taking risks (say) with cars, when they should be out there testing themselves in the wild.

Anyway, these comments are just jottings and it is for men to complete the canvas. I am just suggesting that patch some gaps and spraying a lacquer over what already exists squanders a superb opportunity for men to dig a little deeper (to mix metaphors) for the benefit of their sons and themselves.

I would like to repeat though that for men to participate in the government's health initiative it is crucial that there be leadership by a well known and respected man.