Men are more neglectful of their health than women, according to Frank Sommer, a professor in the Department of Men's Health at the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany.
Sommer cites a recent survey of men aged 40 to 80 in six European countries and the United States. Although about 85 percent of the respondents stated that they were healthy, their medical records told a completely different story, Sommer says.
He notes that women were accustomed to looking after their health and the health of their family while men often ignored pain.
Men are particularly at risk of heart attacks and strokes, often preceded by listlessness and tiredness, Sommer says. He advises men to pay more attention to preventing health problems, rather than merely treating them after they appear.
One important preventative measure - getting sufficient exercise - can be promoted with a pedometer, or step counter, Sommer points out. He says the device was particularly suited to men, who like specific goals and measurable progress.
Office workers can walk 10,000 steps a day if they use stairs instead of lifts and cover short distances on foot, Sommer says, but warns against "jogging to the point of exhaustion" without proper training.