I know, I know, this doesn’t sound right. Growing up as a liberal, feminist, progressive, world-traveling male American, much of what I was told over the years was that I live at the height of privilege. But privilege doesn’t necessarily mean a good life. Nor does it mean a long life.
Let me explain.
But first, this is not to deny or distract from the enormous issues facing women and trans and non-binary people in America today. In nearly every meaningful way, the lives of men are better and easier.
A recent article published on the website “Fatherly” noted that men in America are dying at alarming rates and for reasons that should cause alarm. To begin, the article states that men in America live five years less than women in the US. Further, both men and women live shorter lives than people in other wealthy countries, despite spending far more on medical care. Worse still, the life expectancy of men in America in 2020 was down 1.2 years from 2019. We’re now dying even younger than before.
Heart disease is the main killer. Doctors point to a variety of factors leading to most cases. These include poor diet, smoking, obesity, excessive alcohol use, lack of exercise, and more. Important among the causes, however, is stress. Stress keeps our hearts beating too fast, it constricts veins and arteries, it floods our bodies with hormones. It can rob us of much needed sleep. It can even make our poor diet worse be driving us to cravings for carbs and fatty foods.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death. Most cancers are invisible killers. They start out small and by the time they cause problems, it can be too late. This is why men over 50 are urged to get regular cancer screenings. But costs of screenings have steadily gone up over the last 20 years and insurance companies often make getting them difficult. And despite efforts by politicians, getting insurance in the first place is still not easy for many Americans.
Several forms of cancer, such as prostate cancer, tend to afflict African American men more than others. On the other hand, skin cancer tends to strike white men disproportionately, killing twice as many such men as women of the same age and race.
Accidents, Drugs, and Alcohol
Men in America also die in surprising numbers due to unintentional injuries. It is the third leading cause of death of men in the US. It is also the leading cause for men under 44 years of age. Younger men, understandably, are more likely to take risks such as climbing up on a roof with a rickety old ladder or trying to DIY a new stove vent (I’m guilty of both of these in the last year. I nearly shocked myself when pulling out the old vent and then realized that I must have shut off the wrong power at the circuit box).
Men also have more jobs that lead to fatal accidents, including driving, mining, and construction work.
Due perhaps to American machismo culture, many men die doing stupid things in social settings. Often these deaths include alcohol and other drugs, when men tend to do more of in America. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reported that of the nearly 100,000 drug-involved deaths in 2020, around 70% involved males.
Drugs and alcohol thus often kill young and otherwise healthy men. Those who are not killed often develop habits that become addictions that kill them later in life. Even very light alcohol use is associated with higher mortality, according to recent studies published by the journal Nature. These looked specifically at cancer risks, while earlier reports showing the positive effects of light to moderate alcohol use looked at heart attacks.
Suicide
One of the most shocking and stark statistics for men in America is that our suicide rate is 3.7 times higher than women. There are many theories as to why American men take their own lives at such a great rate, but again our masculine stereotypes might play a role. The “be tough,” “man up,” “never cry,” attitude of much of male American culture can lead many men to suffer in silence. Men are less likely to have close friendships. We’re also less likely to have a primary care doctor. And, as already mentioned, we’re more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, which can cause immediate depression and can cause problems in life that add to despair.
Deep Breaths
Realizing all of this can be a bit disheartening. But it can also serve as a justified warning to us men. Even if we are thriving in many ways in our lives: how are we doing in terms of our diet, exercises, alcohol use, and relationships. All of these, and regular check-ups with doctors, form an essential safety-net that we’ll appreciate more and more as we age. We’ll also be grateful for the good habits we established early in life.
Mindfulness is just one habit I was lucky enough to create in my early 20s. A fascination with the world and healthy foods is another. Exercise is an on-again, off-again battle. And being a father/worker/home-owner seems to leave me with way less than enough time to get in regular workouts.
Nonetheless, like other men, I should take heed of the warnings here. I want to be around and active well into the latter half of the century!
Justin Whitaker, Ph.D., holds a doctorate in Buddhist ethics from the University of London. He has given lectures, and taught Buddhist studies and Philosophy at Oxford University, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Montana, and at Antioch University’s intensive study-abroad program in India. A certified meditation teacher, he is a regular contributor to Patheos.com, and Senior Correspondent for Buddhistdoor Global. He lives in Missoula with his family.