SURVEY REVEALS 72% OF MEN FEEL STIGMA AROUND TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL HEALTH ISSUES

In conjunction with Men’s Health Awareness Week, Dynamic Nutrition Academy (DNA) ran a survey on over 100 men aged between 25 and 70 years old to find out their beliefs surrounding male hormonal health.

Testosterone and sperm levels have been declining globally at rates of 10% a decade for the past 50 years, resulting in a man in their 30s today having testosterone levels equivalent to a man in their 70s in 1990. This deceleration is due to increasingly negative lifestyle factors including obesity and environmental toxins.

Men also undergo “andropause” – AKA Male Menopause which refers to age-related decline in hormone levels following testosterone peaking at 19.

Yet the survey revealed that 83% of men have not even heard of Andropause even though all men will undergo it regardless of whether they experience symptoms. In further shocking news, only 18% of men reported knowing how to spot the signs of testosterone deficiency. A surprising stat in the face of 72% of men sharing their understanding that testosterone impacts their overall health, men simply don’t know what they are looking for.

DNA’s co-founder and male hormone expert Roberta Stringer said: “Symptoms of low testosterone manifest in varying ways – from depression, low mood, lack of libido, anxiety, erectile dysfunction, poor sleep, difficulty concentrating, memory loss, weight gain and in some cases, all of the above.

“Many men are misdiagnosed or suffer in silence due to the stigma of talking about personal issues. With Low T linked to many chronic health conditions including poorer outcomes in men with Covid-19, it’s about time that more attention was paid to men’s hormonal health and that we place as much importance on it as we do for females. More needs to be done to level the gender playing field in hormonal health.”

The survey also revealed that 65% of men would seek medical help for loss of libido, a tangible symptom that, unlike low mood, fatigue and weight gain, is difficult to be ignored.

DNA’s co-founder, South African fitness trainer Sheldon Stringer, was diagnosed with low testosterone at the age of 40 following an initial misdiagnosis of depression. Due to the lack of information Sheldon was stunned to discover that he was experiencing andropause and this was the root cause of his symptoms.

“Having struggled with low T myself and not having any help or support from my GP, I know first-hand there is a lack of awareness about testosterone and attitudes about what it does and doesn’t do are outdated,” he said, “We need to bring men’s matters up to date and treat the andropause as we do the menopause. Every single man will experience age-related loss of testosterone and it’s unacceptable that because of our gender we are not able to ask for help or get it when we are brave enough to reach out.”

DNA’s trailblazing approach seeks to shine a spotlight on this common health issue. With testosterone peaking at 19 and optimum levels required for health, all men must nurture their hormones from a young age to encourage optimal wellness.

Dynamic Nutrition Academy hope that as more men in the media like Robbie Williams and most recently Scott Disick share their Low T stories, and with the links between Low T and Covid-19 gaining attention, that 2021 will be the year men’s hormonal health is thankfully given the attention it deserves.