This week is Men's Health Week and it's well-known men are not very good at looking after themselves.
Dr Tom Mulholland joined The AM Show on Thursday, and says men are traditionally reluctant to go to the doctors. As a result he's been traveling the regions, setting up in forests and cowsheds to get men checked up on.
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He says many men know more about the pressure in their car tyres than their own blood pressure.
"Farmers know more about the health of their stock than they do about themselves," he says.
He told host Duncan Garner the main problems for Kiwi men are type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, especially as they get older. He recommends men get a health check every year.
"Pre-diabetes, you can pick that up with this test now," he says.
"So if you say 'the warning light's on, like in a car, just stop putting two sugars in your coffee every day, especially if you've got a family history of type 2 diabetes' - and they stop."
Fortunately, Dr Mulholland says men are likely to follow advice to get themselves healthy again.
"Men are really practical, all they want to know is what the problem is and then how do I go and fix it," he says.
"When they get to see the digits they go 'alright, I've got a problem, what do I do?' And they get stuck into it.
"It's like your car… if there's something wrong, you go and get it fixed."
Newshub.
