Seven Reasons Why Men Don’t Go to Doctors (a woman’s perspective) and the Three Reasons Women Nag You
May 28, 2021 09:31AM ● By Dr. Kristy Harvell
Women go to doctors as much as four times more than men.
They also live longer. The reason why men don’t seek medical advice until a
real crisis arises has been a perplexing one for ages. Polls have been
performed, and the major health associations and popular men’s health
publications have all written articles on this very fact.
Here are seven of the most
common reasons why men don’t go to doctors, accompanied by female commentary:
I don’t trust doctors. If you are of the opinion that “you can’t
trust them as far as you can throw them,” shop around! Get a personal
recommendation from someone that you do trust, like a family member, friend,
neighbor or co-worker. You don’t need to go alone on this one, there have
already been people in your close circle that have had to figure out who the
best of the best are.
I don’t want to spend the money. You work hard for your money
and you don’t want to spend it on something that doesn’t provide a measurable
result. A little prevention goes a long way on this one. You can either spend
money now on healthy food choices, wellness visits and supplements or you can
spend money later on sick days, lost production, medications, surgery and
hospitalizations. The average American spends $220,000 on health care in
retirement, eating up as much as 30 percent of what they have put away!
It’s probably nothing! Most of the time you’re right,
but why take the risk when we have access to modern health care? Your body is
intelligent and those warning signs are like the check engine light. Taking
care of the problem sooner rather than later will require less time and fewer
resources and lead to a full recovery. The longer you ignore it, the bigger a
problem it will become to deal with.
I don’t have time. If you can’t find the time to take care of your health
now, how will you find the time later for more drastic and invasive procedures?
Americans are now living longer with long-term chronic illnesses. That
retirement that you’ve been working so hard toward may not live up to
everything you had planned if you are spending all your days going to doctor
appointments and living with physical limitations.
Fear of the unknown. So, seeing your doctor may force you to
confront your current lifestyle (smoking, drinking, weight gain, sky-rocketing
stress levels). The good news is that your doctor is there to help you and
advise you, not to judge you. Knowledge is power. The more you empower
yourself, the more control you can take over your health.
I’m tough, I don’t need help! Let me guess, you’re not lost
and you don’t need directions either. Sometimes, the toughest thing you can do
is admit your weaknesses. It’s a fact of life, moving parts break down and
require maintenance.
I can’t live on twigs and berries! It’s true that better health
might require some changes to your daily routine. Don’t compare what works for
someone else to your own circumstances. There is no one magic cure or diet that
works for everyone. What does work every single time is small, gradual changes
that you can form into a new habit for the long-term. A vegetarian or
low-calorie diet doesn’t work for everyone. Diet recommendations should be made
on an individual basis and take into consideration your age, health history and
activity level.
So guys, if you find your
female counterparts “nagging” at you, this is what it really means:
We love you! When we find something that works for us, we want to share it with
you so you can experience the same benefits. We don’t want to keep it all to ourselves.
We are attracted to your masculinity and strength. Those same qualities that
originally attracted us to you are still attractive, and we want you to
preserve your health and vitality for years to come.
We are planners. We can predict the same course that we see our parents
heading down and we know that we don’t have to accept the same inevitable
course. Research shows that we can overcome our genetic predispositions with a
little TLC.
We know if we leave it up to you, it will never happen
unless it was your idea. We really don’t like to nag you or be considered a
nag. If you are starting to think of the women in your life as nags, listen to
what they are asking of you. Chances are it is something that they feel
wholeheartedly about and have your best interests in mind.
Dr. Kristy Harvell is the owner of Health by Design, located at 2002 Southside Service Rd., in Jacksonville. Harvell graduated in the Phi Chi Omega Honor Society, cum laude, with certification in Cox flexion distraction technique. She has studied pediatrics and pregnancy care, clinical applied nutrition, and thermographic and surface electromyography diagnostics. She is certified in Brimhall’s Six Steps to Wellness, has completed 200 hours of applied kinesiology training, and has hundreds of hours of study in the fields of functional medicine and clinical nutrition through Metagenics and Standard Process as well as advanced clinical training with Ulan Nutritional Systems. For more information or to make an appointment, call 904-363-3374 or visit HealthByDesignFL.com.