KEEPING OUR MEN HEALTHY

KEEPING OUR MEN HEALTHY

By Judith Riddle 

This month many of you will join other healthcare professionals across the country to celebrate Men’s Health Month. You’ll participate in health fairs and health education outreach activities to increase awareness of disease prevention through healthful eating and physical activity. And you’ll encourage boys and men of all ages to seek medical care and early treatment for disease and injury.

Some of the main health issues affecting men today include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and kidney disease. According to the Men’s Health Network, the 2007 age-adjusted death rate for men of all races was 1.4 times that of women.

One type of cancer in particular that continues to receive much attention is prostate cancer, which kills twice as many black men as white men, according to the network. In fact, black men have the highest rate of prostate cancer in the world. As one who’s seen fi rsthand the ravages of prostate cancer in my own family, I can’t stress enough the importance of early screenings and preventative measures. The National Cancer

Institute estimates there will be more than 217,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the United States this year, resulting in more than 32,000 deaths. Risk factors for developing the disease include age, family history, race, and diet. Eating a diet low in fi ber and high in fat and red meat has been shown to increase prostate cancer risk. But research shows one food that may reduce the risk is tomatoes.

In our feature article “Can Tomatoes Slice Prostate Cancer Risk?” on page 20, Today’s Dietitian reviews some of the most compelling research on the link between tomatoes and lower prostate cancer risk. We discuss the carotenoids in tomatoes that have a protective effect, and we provide tips on how to incorporate more tomato products in the diet.

On page 26, we bring to you our third annual TD10 feature article that includes profi les of the top 10 nutrition professionals you helped nominate in honor of National Nutrition Month and Registered Dietitian Day. You believed these RDs were doing exceptional work in the dietetics fi eld, and we agreed. Meet these 10 extraordinary professionals and enjoy reading their profi les. And please enjoy the rest of the issue!