Flying doc talks to Marton tradies over breakfast

Gary Peacock (Managing Director/Chief Pilot for Air Napier Ltd) has his 6th monthly aviation medical performed by the only class one flying medical examiner Dr Dave Baldwin who flew in especially from

A special breakfast for Marton's working blokes is being held on Thursday to listen to Flying Doctor Dave Baldwin.

Breakfast is from 6.45am until 8.30am in the showroom at McVerry Crawford Motor's showroom which will be specially heated for the occasion.

While the chaps tuck into healthy food they will also have the chance to win some small prizes provided for the event.

The breakfast is a health event as part of the nationwide Men's Health Week.

Dave Baldwin said the idea behind having a men's health month is to draw attention to the fact that men die on an average 4 to 5 years earlier than women.

Men are diagnosed much earlier in their lives with most cancers, strokes and heart attacks
than women, he said.

"It's not because women are stronger it's mostly because women take care of themselves better than men.''

Dr Baldwin said he really wants to impress on men to get off their bums and get regular health checks their GP or dentist.

Globally the state of men's health is in crisis, he said.

Men experience worse longer-term health than women and die on average six years earlier.

Prostate cancer rates will double in the next 15 years.

Testicular cancer rates have already doubled in the last 50.

Three quarters of suicides are men.

Poor mental health leads to half a million men taking their own life every year.

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer found in men.

About 3000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year in New Zealand but with careful treatment it is not a death sentence for many.

The trick is to catch it earlier enough.

Symptoms mainly relate to unusual events when passing urine.

But men tend to "put up with it" when they shouldn't, he said.

Radiation therapy side effects vary with the patient. Wives and girl friends need to give them a nudge, he said.

"The world is badly in need of granddads!"