Weighty issue of men's health

MO: Richie Fullard talks candidly about his health journey for Movember.PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Richie Fullard has lost almost 50kg in less than a year, after changing his lifestyle habits for the better.

Movember - a nationwide campaign to raise awareness around men's health - is in full swing and Mr Fullard, the Osbornes Funeral Home general, is one of those growing a moustache for the cause. "I've been taking part in Movember for a few years now, initially it was to grow a mo with your mates, and it just happened to be a good cause. "Now I do it because it's important to spread the word about men's health, raise a few dollars ... and it's still fun to grow a mo and hope you'll look somewhat like Magnum PI at the end of the month," he said.

Mr Fullard said he had made some major lifestyle changes this year to improve his health. "When I started my journey earlier this year I was 152kg, my Fitbit told me this morning I'm 103.9kg.

"With two young kids I could see the future getting away from me, so with help from my support network I've gone about changing my habits for the better."

Rotorua GP Dr Harry Pert said men between the ages of 30 and 40 should start getting regular checks and be working at developing their GP relationship so they knew where to go if something went wrong. He said while Movember was great for raising awareness of men's health, some believed it was all about prostate health and getting prostate tests done.

Dr Pert said they "don't just screen blindly" and it was important for men to realise it was as much about starting conversations around prostate health than automatically carrying out tests. He said men often lacked the relationships with a GP that women developed and he didn't want men to be put off visiting the doctor out of concern they might have to have prostate tests. "It's not what we want to do at all. We want to have those conversations about general health, lifestyle, mental health. Prostate health is just part of being a bloke."

Mr Fullard said men's health may not be a common topic of conversation on the sport sidelines, or in the pub with the boys, but all men should be able to connect with someone to talk about their health.

"It's okay to talk about stuff, work stuff, relationship issues, money problems, health problems. Talk it through. It's good to talk," he said. "We ... need to step back once a year and look at ourselves, our sons, dads, brothers and mates and think - am I looking after myself, will I be around to help look after others, or am I destined to be another statistic?"