Smoking is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide. A study on global smoking prevalence among adults shows that this dangerous habit is more prevalent among men (32.6%) than women (6.5%). This means men are more likely to develop health problems linked to smoking, like heart disease and lung cancer.
Concern about these increased health risks can be an important factor in motivating smokers to quit. Unfortunately, the CDC reports that of the 30-50% of smokers in the US who make at least one quit attempt every year, only 7.5% of them manage to succeed.
However, smokers should not be discouraged from quitting because of low success rates. There are a few reasons why smoking cessation is difficult, and identifying them is the first step towards discussing strategies that can reduce smoking prevalence among men in particular and help them quit for good.
Barriers to smoking cessation
Among the primary reasons why quitting smoking is difficult is the addictive quality of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Aside from containing a mix of cancer-causing chemicals, tobacco activates men’s reward systems more than women’s, as shown in results from neuroimaging studies. Therefore, men are more likely to associate smoking with dopamine release and become dependent on its stimulating effects.
The withdrawal symptoms that come with quitting smoking, especially when using the cold turkey approach, also serve as barriers to successful cessation. These withdrawal symptoms are experienced by both men and women and may be physical and psychological, such as headaches, nausea, and mood swings. The increased urge to smoke in order to alleviate symptoms is what contributes to slip-ups and relapse.
Research on gender differences in smoking cessation found that the barriers to successfully quitting differ between men and women. Whereas women struggle to quit because emotional and/or stressful events trigger them to start smoking again, men are hindered by social and environmental factors.
For one, the large availability of cigarettes can cause men to buy and smoke again even after quitting. Smoking was also associated with social activities and drinking alcohol, which makes it difficult for men to resist the urge when they find themselves in these situations.
Strategies that help with smoking cessation
Nicotine replacement therapy
The finding that men smoke more frequently to reinforce its effect as a stimulant is consistent with the observation that men have a higher nicotine dependency. In this light, male smokers can turn to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as a way to get nicotine delivery comparable to cigarettes but without the danger of addiction and harm to their health.
Looking for nicotine pouches online can prove to be effective for smokers seeking a smokeless, tobacco-free alternative. The nicotine delivery provided by pouches is direct and fast-acting, as it only has to be tucked between the upper lip and gums to instantly relieve withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine pouches are also discreet; they do not emit any smoke, odour, or residue, hence allowing the user to satisfy nicotine cravings even in places where cigarettes and tobacco products are traditionally banned.
Goal-setting
Since smoking cessation is a healthy lifestyle change just like weight loss, the same strategies for staying consistent with weight goals can be applied to your cessation journey.
When it comes to goal-setting, avoid being too vague by following the SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) principle. For example, specify how many cigarettes you want to quit per day/week/month. You can also reinforce your emotional connection to this goal by drawing inspiration from your family and friends.
Support groups
We know social activities influence men’s smoking urges; you can also counteract this by applying a social context to your smoking cessation strategy. Nowadays, there are gender-specific support groups, both in-person and online, that can motivate you to quit smoking and make progress in improving your health.
The benefits of quitting smoking on your health and quality of life will always outweigh the challenges. Even if you slip up from time to time, revisiting your reasons for smoking cessation will help keep you on track.
James Macintyre was a successful young man at the top of his game – until a breakdown unexpectedly hit him for six.
A serious psychotic episode led to him being sectioned and subsequently spending three years in and out of hospital.
A high-flier in the world of political journalism, James was a staffer on well-known titles like Prospect, New Statesman, and The Independent as well as the BBC’s flagship current affairs TV programme Question Time. Not so long ago, he also co-authored the biography of former Labour Party leader, Ed Miliband.
A decade after the breakdown, James discusses it, and his eventual recovery, with his friend, Iain Dale, on LBC’s All Talk podcast. It is a fascinating insight into a very painful period – and one I wholeheartedly encourage you to listen to.
In a very honest conversation, James and Iain try to piece together the dramatic events that led to James being hospitalised. What follows is the most honest conversation about mental health I’ve ever heard, and it’s given me a better understanding of how and why things can go so desperately wrong.
In his role as a political journalist, James became entangled with right-wing bloggers.
“It was a horrible period really, it got me down, and at that point, I was on anti-depressants, and also frankly, drinking too much alcohol at times and the combination was not a good one,” he says. “Things began to spiral, though there was a very specific moment where… the breakdown really happened. There is a division between how I was – a bit out of control beforehand – and then what happened, when there was a sort of serious psychotic breakdown.
“I had had depression and mild anxiety in the past but slightly thrived on pressure… but at this point, I just stopped functioning. I can remember walking out of the office for the first time in my life [it was a sunny day in central London] and I was just weeping in the street. Obviously, I realised then I needed help.”
It wasn’t long before James became suicidal, and that’s when he phoned Iain.
“I vividly remember your response which was ‘If you ever have thoughts like this again day or night call me’, and that was hugely helpful and I’m eternally grateful for that,” he recalls. “Despite your help, and [that of] others, I declined, and eventually I stopped eating, then stopped sleeping and basically started hallucinating, and it turned into full-blown psychosis and I went wandering around London trying to escape what I thought were SWAT teams.”
Thankfully, James has now recovered, with the help, support, and love of family members. And today, he now volunteers at the Iona Community, which is located on the remote Scottish island of the same name.
“How has your faith helped you through this? How can you believe in a God that’s enabled you to go through what you’ve had to go through?” are key questions Iain asks in the podcast. The response is very enlightening.
“I think it’s true that at times I felt, and I don’t use the word lightly, that I was in hell… but my faith has helped me,” responds James. “I’m deeply grateful to have retained that faith and actually nowadays I look back and think God has always looked after me and been with me
“It could happen to anyone, I do want to stress there is hope and recovery. I do feel it’s right to speak out and I guess, witness to the fact that people can go through quite extreme breakdowns and psychosis, and come out of them; and it is great to be well.”
Many of us are unwilling to face up to our fears, especially irrational ones. It is estimated that between 400 and 800 million people globally may suffer from a specific phobia. Studies show that women report phobias more frequently than men (12.2% versus 5.8%). This discrepancy could be attributed to a combination of genetic, biological, and societal factors.
Genetic predispositions may make some individuals more susceptible to phobias, and hormonal variations could influence fear responses, particularly in women. Additionally, the expectations of society, and gender roles, significantly impact how individuals report and react to fear. Men are less likely to report their fears due to stigmas around expressing vulnerability.
When we explore the topic of phobias in men and how they differ from those experienced by women, despite changes in the perception of traditional male roles over the years, some stereotypes persist.
The manner in which phobias manifest can differ. Typically, when faced with fear, individuals might react with fight, flight, or freeze responses. In the case of a spider phobia, for example, the reactions could range from running away (flight), being paralysed by fear (freeze), to killing the spider (fight). Generally, men are more likely to exhibit a fight response when under stress, possibly due to cultural expectations to confront challenges, or biological tendencies linked to higher testosterone levels.
Despite these differences in fear responses and reporting rates, some phobias are definitely more prevalent among men than women:
Iatrophobia (fear of doctors and medical procedures) Men’s anxiety about visiting doctors could be heightened by cultural notions that equate masculinity with a lack of vulnerability. This fear often leads to delayed medical consultations and can be exacerbated by concerns over serious diagnoses. Avoiding medical settings might be an attempt to maintain control over one’s health and physical autonomy.
Gamophobia(fear of commitment) In men, this fear may stem from societal expectations to maintain independence and freedom. The ‘lone wolf’ stereotype contributes to some men’s reluctance to engage in or sustain long-term relationships, creating a tension between personal desires for intimacy and societal expectations of autonomy.
Acrophobia (fear of heights) Although a common phobia for many people, the social imperative for men to demonstrate bravery might lead them to underreport or minimise their fear of heights. Ironically, minimising a fear can intensify it, creating a kind of pressure cooker effect. As the saying goes, ‘what you resist persists’, and the more a person worries about worrying, the more they find themselves ensnared by that exact worry.
Thanatophobia(fear of death) Many men mix the fear of death with the pressure to uphold a legacy or fulfil lifelong responsibilities. Concerns about the implications of their death for dependents can magnify this fear, making it about more than just the end of existence. Such fears may also drive men to achieve in various areas of life, partly fuelled by an underlying dread of mortality.
Atychiphobia (fear of failure) The fear of failure is particularly pronounced in men due to societal roles that emphasise family provision. In male-dominated industries, like technology or finance, the competitive environment can amplify this fear, impacting personal self-esteem and professional standing.
TACKLING THE FEAR
Most phobias can be addressed, and in the majority of cases, can be removed completely. There are seven stages to this process, which I call the Integrated Change System™. The steps are known as the Seven Rs. Let’s take a fear of the doctor as an example and work through the seven stages that can help a man overcome that fear.
Recognise what you’re really afraid of Understanding the roots of any phobia is crucial. Identifying not just the surface-level fear (doctors, in this case) but also the deeper fears it represents (eg, fear of diagnosis, loss of control, or a past traumatic event) is key. Instead of asking, “Why am I afraid of the doctor?” focus on questions that go deeper, like “What specifically about doctors scares me?” or “When did I first feel this fear?” and “What am I believing in order to be feeling this way?”
Relax the conscious mind Calmness is the key to accessing emotions and letting them go. Achieving a state of relaxation allows us to work with these fears more effectively.
The process is the ‘4-7-8 Breathing Technique’, which involves inhaling quietly through the nose for four seconds, holding the breath for seven seconds, and exhaling forcefully through the mouth, pursed around the tongue, for eight seconds. This breathing pattern, repeated three to four times, acts as a natural tranquilliser for the nervous system. It’s particularly effective in reducing anxiety because it increases the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, slows the heart rate, and stabilises blood pressure – counteracting the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Reward for your fear (secondary gain) Phobias can serve a hidden purpose, even if it doesn’t seem logical. Emotions aren’t logical. Things like avoiding situations we find uncomfortable, receiving attention and care from others, or feeling that fear protects us or keeps us safe, are all hidden gains. Identifying the secondary gains can help us change any blocks that stop us from letting go of our fear.
One way to find the secondary gain is to ask, “Does this fear keep me safe from situations I perceive as dangerous?” or “Do I receive comfort or attention because of this fear?” or “What might I lose if this fear were to disappear now?” Trust the first answer that comes; you might find some things you had never thought about before.
Recipe (deconstructing your strategy) Everything we do, including phobias, operates according to a subconscious ‘recipe’ – a sequence of thoughts, behaviours, and feelings that reinforce, in this case, the fear. By getting clear on our recipe for fear, it becomes easier to change it. A highly effective technique involves changing the internal representation of the fear.
Visual changes: Imagine the doctor that triggers your phobia. Now, in your mind’s eye, start to shrink that image, make it lose its colour until it’s black and white, and then let it play backward like a film reel running in reverse. This process helps to diminish the emotional impact the image has on you.
Auditory changes: Pair this altered visual with a change in any sounds associated with your fear. If the doctor’s voice is a trigger, imagine it becoming high-pitched, like a cartoon character, or even overlay it with a ridiculous sound effect. Incorporating humorous or nonsensical auditory elements further breaks down the fear’s intensity. This is similar to the ‘Riddikulus’ spell used against Boggarts in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Release the past This step addresses the root of the fear, often buried in past experiences, by finding the first event and changing the mind’s link to fear. This can then have an effect on how somebody will feel about that fear in the future.One way to release the past is through tapping. Begin by clearly identifying the fear or specific event related to your phobia. This might be a past incident where you felt scared or made uncomfortable by a doctor. Hold this memory in your mind.
Start by tapping on the karate chop point (the outer edge of your hand) with the fingertips of the other hand. As you tap, verbalise your fear and your acceptance of yourself despite this fear. For example, “Even though I have this fear of doctors, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Proceed to tap lightly but firmly on the sequence of points: the eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, the chin, the collarbone, under the arm, and top of the head. While tapping each point about seven times, briefly state your fear to maintain focus on the issue.
After a few rounds of tapping, begin to introduce a positive reframing of your fear. For instance, “I choose to release this fear” or “I am open to feeling safe around doctors.”
Recondition your emotions The essence of emotional reconditioning lies in recognising that our responses to any fear-inducing stimuli are learned behaviours. The good news? Just as a response can be learned, it can also be unlearned or modified.
One way to do this is an exercise known as ‘emotional anchoring’. This technique is all about replacing the fear response with something more positive, switching our automatic fear of doctors to a calmer or even positive reaction. Here’s how:
Choose a positive emotion: First, decide on the positive feeling you’d want instead of fear. This could be calm, happiness, or courage. Think of this emotion as your new reaction when you think about or see doctors.
Find a memory: Select a memory where you felt this positive emotion strongly. It could be any happy or calm moment from your life. The key here is that the feeling should be powerful and clear.
Create your anchor: While immersed in this memory, do a simple physical gesture, like pressing your thumb and forefinger together. This gesture is your anchor. It’s a physical action tied to your positive emotion. Now find a new memory and do the same again keep doing this till the act of squeezing your fingers takes you straight to a positive feeling.
Now start thinking about doctors and using your anchor. Notice how you feel. What we’re doing here is creating a new pathway in the brain. Every time you use your anchor and feel that positive emotion, you weaken the old fear response and strengthen the new, positive one.
Realise a powerful future: This is about crafting a future where fear doesn’t dictate our choices, transforming ‘what-ifs’ and ‘yes, buts’ into new positive possibilities.
Start by jotting down the most frequent ‘yes but’ and ‘what if’ thoughts that bubble up when you think about the doctor. These might be thoughts like, “Yes, but last time didn’t go well” or “What if I get bad news?”
Now challenge them: For each ‘yes but’ and ‘what if’, ask yourself, “Is this thought helping me or hindering me?” Challenge the validity of these thoughts. How many of these imagined scenarios have actually happened?
Now for the fun part – flipping the script. Rewrite each ‘yes but’ and ‘what if’ into a positive statement or question. For example, “Yes, but last time didn’t go well” becomes “What if this time, I feel more prepared and confident?” Transform “What if I get bad news?” into “What if I can be reassured by a simple diagnosis?”
After following these steps and repeating them as needed, you may find your fear of doctors becomes reduced.
Christopher Paul Jones is the author of Face Your Fears, available now on Amazon. christopherpauljones.com
Research suggests that more than 30 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. That’s a shedload of grief – and not just for the mothers-to-be, as George Luke knows all too well.
I remember that Monday afternoon like it was yesterday. I was at work when my wife Karen rang sounding shaken: “Something’s happened. I’m in hospital.”
My job had become a toxic nightmare by this time, so part of me was thankful for an excuse to leave work early. But it wasn’t without a sense of worry; after all, it’s rarely a good thing to be summoned to a hospital at short notice. “I can see a six-week-old foetus with a heartbeat,” the doctor said after examining her, beaming from ear to ear as she delivered the news. Karen and I hugged warmly, she got dressed and we set off home, our hearts considerably lighter than when we’d arrived. Could this be it? Our dream of parenthood becoming real at last? Third time lucky?
Sadly, no. Two days later, my phone rang again. Another emergency summons from Karen. It felt a lot more ominous this time. Sure enough, when I arrived at the hospital the news wasn’t good: the foetus that had filled us with so much hope and joy over the last 48 hours was no more. At least this time round I was able to comfort my wife in person – not like the first time this tragedy hit us, when she was in France and I had to be supportive remotely over the phone hundreds of miles away. I don’t think I’ll ever feel as helpless as I did then.
Baby loss isn’t just tough; it’s an awful, tragic, mind-bender of an ordeal to go through. We all know (or think we know) how it affects women. But how should a man react, respond or even feel when his wife/partner has a miscarriage? He’s lost a child too; how does that affect him? It must do…
Who do we talk to about our feelings? How can we support our wives and partners better? So many questions, no conclusive answers. One thing I do have, though, is a couple of friends who’ve been through the ordeal and have, in their own time and their own way, responded to it. Tom Wateracre is one of the authors of a newly published book No One Talks About This Stuff. Ola Obaro is a trustee of the Miscarriage Association – currently the organisation’s only male trustee.
Tom and his wife Sarah had been married four years when, as he puts it, “Our body clocks were like, ‘Right! Okay – here we go!’” Sarah then became pregnant quite quickly, but then the couple received some devastating news: “We found out that our baby had a genetic condition which some babies can continue with, but it also had heart problems and a load of different things. They said the chances of making it to term were very unlikely, and the chances of making it further than that even less so, and so they offered us a medical termination at 17 weeks.”
In the years following the termination, Sarah had some very early miscarriages. “After four years of that, we just didn’t want any more medical interventions,” Tom says. “So we started the adoption process. That took another four years.
“Part of the adoption process was dealing with the grief. They wanted to make sure that we had absolutely stopped trying for a baby, which is one thing; so we had couples’ counselling at that point just to talk about what that meant: were we actually ready for having a kid that wasn’t going to be ‘our own’, and then going through the various stages of adoption. We ended up doing this thing called Early Permanence, which is where you foster and adopt at the same time. Our daughter came to us and we looked after her for a year. Part of the fostering process is the possibility that the child might go back to their birth parents, so we kind of opened ourselves up to that.
“In the book, I’ve written about the idea that we were prepared for some of the possibilities of that adoption process because we’d experienced that loss. We knew that if our daughter were to go back to her birth parents, we would in some sense have a blueprint of how we would deal with the grief of that. And so that gave me a bit of comfort during that process. It’s like a sneaky superpower.”
Ola’s wife Anjuli first became pregnant about three years into their marriage; it was to be the first of three miscarriages she would have before the birth of their daughter, who’s now five. “By the third one, we were starting to potentially accept that we might need to consider other options,” says Ola. “We were referred to a miscarriage clinic – but then before we’d started any treatment, Anjuli became pregnant again, so all the clinic could do was monitor her. And then we had our daughter. But when we got pregnant again, we were told that because we’d had a baby, everything was now fine and normal… but then we had another loss. Thankfully, we had an amazing GP who was really great, and we had our son almost two years ago.
“The first loss really stands out because like all of the stuff you read about, you never think it’s going to happen to you. You know it happens; you may even broadly know the statistics – one in four or one in five, depending on what you read – but then when it happens… I was just in a state of shock. This wasn’t part of the plan! Between me and my wife, I’m the problem solver:‘You get stuff done’. Only in this case, you can’t.”
“My constant thinking was that my emotions are not useful here,” Tom recalls. “Sarah’s the one who’s had all of the actual trauma; I’ve just been like a bystander. It’s almost as if I didn’t have as much of an emotional stake in it as she did. So I just bottled it up until the point where I had a panic attack on the train one day. That was when I realised I needed to talk to someone about it.”
Churches generally do a great job at preparing couples for marriage, but both Ola and Tom think that some pre-emptive advice on dealing with baby loss would have been helpful. “Anj and I did a bunch of marriage courses,” Ola says, “and neither of us can remember this subject coming up. What does come up is ‘Do you want kids?’and disciplining kids. Nobody talked about what happens if you want kids but can’t have them. Yes, it might have been a bit of a downer. But there were enough people in the room that statistically some of us would experience this.
“Nobody wants to think about it, but unfortunately it is going to happen to some people. So there’s some responsibility to prepare people for it in a loving way, just as they prepare us for arguments and communication issues. Baby loss is such a traumatic experience; it could shatter your marriage if you haven’t been emotionally prepared. Churches could do a better job of talking about it openly –how you carry on having faith but potentially being prepared for not getting something you always thought was going to be part of your life.”
“Even when your story ends in a baby, that’s not the end!” says Tom. And he’s right; the thought of what could have been doesn’t just go away overnight. Tom and Sarah now have their daughter, Ola and Anjuli have a girl and a boy, and Karen and I have our two girls. Mission accomplished? Not quite. The experience of ‘almost parenthood’ (to borrow a phrase from Tom’s book) has a way of messing with your head. There are groups that host memorial events for those who have lost babies through miscarriage in the past. Ola recalls going to a few such events and meeting people who were mourning babies they’d lost 30 or 40 years ago. “Even if you have another kid or you adopt a child three or four years later, that’s a whole different trajectory of hopes and dreams,” he says. “But those previous ones never got borne out and nothing can take that away.”
And maybe that’s a good thing. Not everything in life has a nicely wrapped up conclusion, as much as we would like them to. “Dealing with the lows of life needs to be something that we’re more comfortable with,” says Ola. “Always seeing those lows as a part of your eventual victory can be unhelpful sometimes. Nobody wants to consider that bad things could happen to them, and what that could mean. But it’s so important that we do.”
There are a number of organisations who offer help to those in this situation:
Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research is the largest of its kind in Europe. They offer lots of information and encouragement. tommys.org/baby-loss-support
Miscarriage for Men has a community forum with links and blogs. miscarriageformen.com
Child Bereavement UK supports families when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. They have a helpline, face-to-face groups and information resources. childbereavementuk.org
Cruse Bereavement Care helps people understand their grief and cope with their loss. They have a helpline and a network of local branches where you can find support. cruse.org.uk
The Miscarriage Association provides a helpline five days a week, plus a forum and support groups. www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
In 2024 The Leprosy Mission marks its 150th anniversary. The baton to end the world’s oldest disease is now with a generation running the race with more tools and knowledge than ever before.
The earliest evidence of leprosy dates to 4,000 years ago. We also read in the Gospels of how Jesus cured people with this disease during his time on earth. Leprosy should no longer exist in the 21st Century as there has been an effective antibiotic cure since 1982. Yet this disease continues to blight millions of lives today. The lives of some of the poorest and most marginalised people on the planet.
Supporters and Leprosy Mission teams around the globe are calling on governments, philanthropic organisations, churches and individuals to join the race to end leprosy.
Chief Executive Peter Waddup explained that for the majority of The Leprosy Mission’s existence there was no cure for leprosy. Peter said: “All those who went before us could do, was offer love and practical care for those who had been cast out by their families and communities. There was, and still is, so much fear when a person develops visible signs of leprosy. Yet today, as well as an effective cure, we have a diagnostic test and undertake contact tracing. By doing so we can detect and cure leprosy in family members before they develop disabilities. There are also scientific advances in the pipeline that will hugely accelerate the race to stop the transmission of leprosy. We have better ways to heal ulcers and world-class reconstructive surgeons to help transform the lives of people disabled by leprosy. Crucially, there is a new generation of people affected by leprosy who are empowered to fight for their rights.
“Arm in arm with communities affected by leprosy, we want the 150th anniversary to be a launchpad to a world where no one is diagnosed with leprosy again. No one should live with a preventable disability caused by leprosy in this day and age. And no one should face discrimination just because they have this disease.
“The fight to end leprosy has never looked more hopeful and this is thanks to the incredible compassion and generosity of supporters. We believe that, with the right backing from governments, we can end leprosy. It is a disease that has haunted this world for too long and we are better equipped now than ever before to end leprosy.”
Peter explained that the lives of the founders of The Leprosy Mission, Wellesley and Alice Bailey, show that it takes a partnership to change the world. He said: “Wellesley and Alice were an ordinary couple raised during the potato famine in Ireland. Yet their lives were extraordinary when they followed a calling to help people suffering with a mysterious disease in India. Of course there was no cure for leprosy then and they did whatever they could to help these ostracised people living in terrible poverty. They were devastated when they had no option but to return to Ireland because of Alice’s failing health. But it was this change in circumstances that birthed The Leprosy Mission! On their return to Dublin the couple were asked to give talks about their time in India. A family friend volunteered to raise money so that they could help more people. From humble origins the charity has since cured and transformed the lives of millions of people.
“This story demonstrates that whether it is a surgeon restoring movement to limbs disabled by leprosy, or an elderly couple giving a couple of pounds when they can – together we are an incredible force for good.
“We praise our sovereign God for sustaining this mission through wars, pandemics and economic crises through the compassion of our amazing supporters. Wellesley Bailey famously said The Leprosy Mission was ‘born and cradled in prayer.’ One hundred and fifty years later, prayer remains at the very heart of everything we do. Each morning Leprosy Mission teams come together around the globe to thank God for blessing the work of our hands as we seek to end leprosy.
“Looking back at The Leprosy Mission’s history, we stand on the shoulders of giants. There are some incredible Leprosy Mission stalwarts. These include our wonderful late patron Diana Princess of Wales. Princess Diana made huge strides in destroying the stigma surrounding leprosy. She very publicly held the hands of leprosy patients, photographs of which were splashed across front pages globally. Yet it is the amazing stories of dedication and self-sacrifice among our supporters that touch me the most. I wish I could take each one to Asia and Africa, showing them the difference they are making to people every day.”
The Leprosy Mission Timeline
1869: A young Irishman, Wellesley Bailey, set sail for India to pursue his career. While there, he saw for the first time the devastating effects of leprosy and was inspired to take action. Wellesley’s fiancé Alice later joined him, and they married in Bombay Cathedral.
1874: The Baileys returned to Ireland due to Alice’s health problems. Together they began to tell people about the needs of people with leprosy. They started The Mission to Lepers, which we now call The Leprosy Mission. With the help of their friend Charlotte Pim, they set a target to raise £30 in a year. In the first year alone, they raised £600.
1880-90s: The Mission gave grants to other missions, so they could care for people with leprosy. It also opened its first hospital, Purulia Hospital in West Bengal, India. What started out as 29 outcasts sheltering under trees, today has grown into a hospital serving 70,000 people a year. Wellesley visited Burma to open the first Mission home outside India. At this stage, most of the income came from Ireland, Scotland, and England. Wellesley toured the USA and Canada to raise support there too.
1900-10s: Interest in the work grew and the Baileys travelled to China, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore, visiting projects, raising awareness about leprosy and asking for support. By the time Wellesley retired in 1917, the Mission had 87 programmes in 12 countries with supporting offices in eight countries. The annual income had risen to £40,000.
1920-30s: The Mission started early experiments with a treatment using chaulmoogra oil. While injections were painful and only a few were cured, this was progress. Once only able to offer refuge, The Leprosy Mission began to develop into a medical mission.
1940-50s: Mission doctors began experimenting with a new drug, dapsone. Although patients had to take the antibiotic for their entire life to manage their leprosy, this was revolutionary. Dr Paul Brand, a British orthopaedic surgeon, moves to India to teach at a hospital there. He encounters people affected by leprosy. Dr Brand became the first surgeon in the world to use reconstructive surgery on the hands and feet of people affected by leprosy. This is a technique used extensively today.
1960-70s: In 1965 The Mission to Lepers changed its name to The Leprosy Mission, to avoid the negative connotations of the word ‘leper’. By 1974, The Leprosy Mission’s centenary year, TLM had 30 of its own hospitals and leprosy centres, most of them in India. It also supported 90 different Christian societies and missions working in more than 30 countries.
1980s: In 1981, the World Health Organization recommended a new antibiotic treatment for leprosy; Multidrug therapy (MDT). This was the first effective cure and people were cured in as little as six months. The Leprosy Mission rolled out MDT programmes globally. From the late 1980s, under the theme ‘care after cure’, The Leprosy Mission rapidly increased its work to include social, economic and physical rehabilitation.
1990s: MDT was rolled out around the world. A target was set by the World Health Organization to eliminate leprosy as a public health problem by the year 2000. This was measured by a target of governments recording less than one in 10,000 people being treated for leprosy.
2000s: The global target was actually achieved, but unfortunately created a false sense of success. When the numbers fell below the one in 10,000 rate, governments redirected the money to treating other diseases. The number of new leprosy cases diagnosed began to drop following the Millennium, reducing to around 250,000 cases a year in 2008. They have plateaued at around this level ever since.
2020s: There is evidence[i] to suggest that in 2020 there were four million people living with untreated leprosy. This means for every person cured of leprosy today, there are 19 ‘hidden’ cases that need to be found and treated. Age-old prejudice, lack of knowledge and insufficient healthcare means leprosy continues to blight communities in the developing world. Our fight is to end the transmission of leprosy in our generation.
Earlier this year I had one of those significant birthdays – one that ends in a zero. My hair is becoming greyer and my skin is getting more wrinkled, but I still tell my patients that age is just a number, and that 60 is the new 40! Although I want to convince them (and myself) that this is the case, we should be aware of changes as we get older.
THE CHALLENGES
Cardiovascular system: Over time, blood vessels may become stiffer and narrower. This can lead to high blood pressure and increase the risk of problems like coronary heart disease or stroke.
Muscles, bones and joints: As we age, our bones may become weaker. They often lose density and can even shrink in size. Over time, this makes them more likely to fracture or break. Muscles and ligaments tend to become weaker and less flexible, which means there’s an increased risk of injury or pain.
Weight: Another unavoidable change is that our metabolism slows down. Our metabolism determines how many calories we burn, so when it slows, fewer calories are used. Our body stores unused calories as fat, so it’s important to adjust calorie intake as we get older.
Prostate: As we get older, the risk of experiencing complications with our prostate gland increase. An enlarged prostate can lead to issues with urination, while prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK.
Digestion and the bowel: The ageing process also impacts our digestive system. Changes to appetite, exercise routine and medications can all have an impact on our digestive system and bowel health, ranging from constipation and bloating to bowel cancer.
Mental health: It’s equally important to pay close attention to mental health as we get older. Depression, mood swings, stress and mental fatigue are all common in older men. It’s important not to ignore these feelings and to seek help if you’re struggling.
Memory loss and dementia: The brain undergoes physical changes as we get older, which can affect cognitive function. The results can range from simple short-term memory loss to dementia, which develops over time and is caused by damage to the brain’s nerve cells.
It’s a pretty daunting prospect, but if we look after ourselves, most of the health challenges can be delayed, mitigated or prevented by making certain lifestyle choices. As we get older, it becomes increasingly important to manage our wellbeing, develop healthy habits and look after ourselves, including seeing the GP if you are concerned.
THE TACTICS
Exercise: Regular exercise is always important. But as we get older, we may need to adjust our routine to avoid injury or focus on the kinds of movement that will benefit us the most. Do something you enjoy and you are more likely keep it going.
Sleep: When we sleep, our bodies can recharge. Our muscles and cells repair themselves and our minds relax. Aim for around seven to nine hours of sleep per night, ideally going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
Healthy habits: Too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes and not eating enough fruit and veg are all ‘bad’ habits and they do more and more damage over time. Whatever your age, one of the best ways to look after your older self is to cut out the bad habits now. And then replace them with healthy habits, like eating well and only drinking in moderation.
Hydration: Drinking plenty of water is important for the immune system, energy levels, digestion, maintaining a healthy weight, organ function and healthy skin. Stay hydrated –aim for six to eight glasses of fluids per day. Water is ideal, but low-fat milk, sugar-free drinks, tea and coffee also contribute.
Keep your mind active: It’s not just our bodies that can weaken as we age. We need to maintain a healthy mind too. Brain training can help improve memory and keep the mind alert. This can include doing puzzles, reading and socialising. Physical activity is also very important for mind health. Ageing can also affect your mood, so make sure you find ways to reduce stress and don’t ignore your emotions.
Although we can’t stop the sands of time, we can definitely do lots to stay fit and healthy as we get older.
Strategic Sunlight Exposure: No matter how dreary the weather outside may be, make it a point to step outside for 10-15 minutes every day before noon. To maximise the benefits of this exercise, position yourself to face east, as this aligns you with the direction of the morning sun. It’s also important to repeat this practice in the evening, during sunset. This time, you should face west as the sun sets in that direction.
Exposure to natural light in this way and time frame is essential for supporting your hormonal system. This is because the amount of light that enters your eyes during these times directly influences the production and regulation of hormones in your body, such as serotonin, melatonin and cortisol, which play a critical role in mood and sleep patterns. This effectiveness extends even to areas with cloudy weather, as the light can penetrate through clouds.
Grounding is also known as earthing, is a practice that involves physically connecting with the earth’s surface to absorb its natural, subtle electrical charge. The idea behind grounding is that in our modern lives, we are often insulated from direct contact with the earth due to the prevalence of rubber-soled shoes, buildings, and other non-conductive materials. Some recent studies indicate that grounding may reduce inflammation, help manage stress levels, and improve sleep patterns.
To practise grounding, all you need is to locate a patch of grass, sand, or even mud and let your bare skin make contact with the natural earth. In winter conditions, there are several alternative approaches to choose from to practice grounding. One method involves physical contact with a tree or your dog while standing on natural surfaces like stone, sand, or grass. Another option is to wear grounded shoes, with or without grounding socks. Unlike typical footwear, these shoes incorporate conductive materials such as carbon, silver, and copper in both the outer and inner soles, facilitating ground energy transfer to your feet. Aim to spend at least 20 minutes every day practising this to see the benefits.
Bedtime Routines: Set a fixed bedtime for every night, and as the clock ticks, put away your phone, turn off the lights, and gently close your eyes. This simple lifestyle adjustment is often underrated, yet it stands as one of the most effective anti-stress habits. Going to bed at the same time every day offers multiple benefits: It aids in regulating our circadian rhythms, ensuring our body’s internal clock is in sync. This, in turn, helps stabilise the production of crucial hormones like melatonin and cortisol. Such regularity not only contributes to improved sleep quality but also plays a vital role in stabilising mood and promoting better mental health.
Connections: While the natural reaction when experiencing SAD symptoms might be to isolate oneself, it’s essential to try the opposite by nurturing connections with others. Engaging in social activities, whether with friends, family, or support groups, can offer a sense of connection and belonging that acts as a potent antidote to the winter blues. These interactions not only provide emotional support but also serve as a reminder that you are not alone in your battle against SAD.
Please note that cases of SAD with more severe symptoms should be evaluated and treated by medical professionals. Treatment options may include cognitive-behavioural therapy, antidepressant medication, or a combination of therapies. In such cases, your GP should be your first point of contact for guidance and appropriate care.
Listen to Sorted Founder, Steve Legg chatting with Sorted columnist Dr Ken about SAD and other health issues here: Men’s Health Matters on Apple Podcasts
As the winter chill sets in, it’s not just the temperature that’s dropping but also our motivation to stay active. January can bring with it dark nights, money worries, and depressive thoughts for many, but with a fresh year, there’s no better time to get moving.
A recent study by Better Gyms, the UK’s largest leisure operator, raised concern about a “Fitness Freeze” as exercise rates plummet during the colder months. Coupled with this decline, searches for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) soar by an average of 113%, highlighting the mental health challenges many Britons face during the winter.
According to Better’s findings, a noteworthy two in five Brits expressed that engaging in regular exercise plays a pivotal role in helping them feel less stressed. Additionally, 35% of respondents highlighted that physical activity contributes to a reduction in feelings of anxiety and depression. These statistics underscore the intrinsic link between exercise and mental well-being, which is especially important during a time when individuals may be more susceptible to the January blues.
It’s important to understand that exercise of any kind can be beneficial to your mental-health, and Brits report that just being outside in blue and green spaces can help them feel calm and happy. Even if that’s taking a walk by a canal (37%), or running through a park (24%), incorporating physical activity into your routine can contribute significantly to lifting spirits and combating feelings of anxiety and depression. With 86% of Brits saying they live less than 30 minutes away from a blue or green space, it’s clear that the UK has plenty of access to these, and interestingly, those who lived closest to blue or green spaces suffered the least with anxiety and depression.
To combat the Fitness Freeze and beat the winter blues, Better have enlisted the expertise of Georgina Sturmer, a counsellor supporting individuals through depression and anxiety.
“Physical activity offers benefits to our physical health, but it can also have a positive impact on our mental wellbeing. When we use our bodies, stretch our muscles, and elevate our heartbeat, we are tuning into what our body needs. This helps us gain perspective and connect with the outside world. Exercise can help reduce depression, which is the major feature of Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is partly due to the immediate mood-lifting powers of exercise. And it’s also partly down to the other features that accompany exercise.
“For example, exercise might make us spend time outside in nature or connecting with other people, which can help to ground us and reduce loneliness or isolation. When we exercise, this can also have a positive impact on self-esteem, which can help combat negative thinking and self-criticism.”
“It can be hard to stay motivated when the weather gets cold and dark. If you’re goal-oriented, then it might help you to have your ‘eyes on the prize’. Try to build exercise into your social life; in the winter, consider suggesting to your friends that you head out for a walk, or a class at the gym, or participate in a challenge event together.”
The full research findings and winter workout tips can be found here: https://www.better.org.uk/lp/fitness-freeze
Tis the season to … totally overindulge. While that may be true for many of us looking forward to a break from work, relaxing with the family and indulging this Christmas, it’s definitely not the case for top-level footballers.
Football is a particularly treasured part of British culture and outdates many other well-established Christmas customs. And so Boxing Day remains a staple of the footballing calendar. Beloved by fans as one of the highlights of the Christmas schedule, it can prove to be a tricky time for the players, who will be readying themselves for a heavy schedule of festive fixtures.
Boxing Day football means players must prepare like they would for any other game, and the prospect of training and travelling at some point on December 25th is the reality for many. So, while good food is a huge part of the Christmas festivities, the gruelling, physical demands of the beautiful game leave players and nutritionists counting the calories, and they can soon add up.
“Focus on preparation around the Christmas period is very high,” said Performance Nutritionist Ed Tooley. “It’s a very busy schedule match-wise, so performance and medical staff will be flat out making sure that players physically prepare and recover as best as possible. Injuries are managed, and players refuel after matches to prepare for the next with the short turnaround in games involved.
Tooley, who consults in elite and amateur sports and corporate business, has worked in top-level sports for well over a decade, with teams like Manchester City, Manchester United Academy, West Brom, Brighton, Norwich, and Crystal Palace engaging his services in recent years.
We asked Tooley, a huge advocate for gut health supplement brand Bimuno®, whether footballers enjoy some parts of a ‘normal Christmas’ and whether they can have their fill when it comes to the most epic roast of the year.
“A Christmas dinner happens to some degree at some stage,” added Tooley. “However, it may not be on Christmas Day as these are often days where teams will have some training or perhaps even travelling. So, a Christmas dinner on Christmas Day might be at home or as a squad, but without the trimmings. Or with the trimmings may have to be enjoyed before or after the big day depending on the schedule.”
For most of us, the Christmas period comes with a month full of Prosecco popping, chocolate gobbling and mince pie munching, not to mention your feast of choice on December 25th. Christmas is when we’re encouraged to have too much of everything; TV, food, time with family, and football.
From gorging on roast turkey and crispy roasties to a glass of fizz, a copious number of Quality Street, and many other Christmas non-negotiables, it’s easy to see why Christmas Day can represent a minefield of temptation for footballers.
“The majority of players are well adjusted to the schedule around the Christmas period, but they know the importance of it and how crucial that period can be to the team,” added Tooley. “If a player were to dip into a ‘normal’ Christmas Day during this busy schedule, practitioners like myself from the club often would have advised players on what and what not to do. This advice would include information around quantities, any foods to try to minimise or avoid and what to replace them with so that they can still enjoy a tasty meal but are not hampering their fuelling and/or recovery.”
Tooley added: “Most players now understand how important the Christmas period is and the tolls that a short turnaround can have on their bodies, so most players will be sensible around the Christmas eating and drinking. Some coaches do, of course, bring players in, and they will eat together, which adds a sense of control. However, this is often tied in with training and/or travel, and controlled food at the club ensures they fuel and recover well and enjoy a Christmas meal as a squad for some additional togetherness during a challenging schedule rather than trying to ‘moderate’ consumption. Also, you must remember that many teams now have very impressive teams of performance chefs, so the food isn’t only nutritionally ideal, it’s very tasty too.”
With the fixtures coming thick and fast over Christmas, players can’t afford to indulge to the extent the rest of us do. With that in mind, the prebiotic supplement brand Bimuno® is here to tell you how a professional footballer’s menu compares to your traditional Christmas feast.
YOUR CHRISTMAS DAY V A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALLER
We start a day of festive feasting with: A family-sized tin of Quality Street, a couple of glasses of Buck’s Fizz and an avalanche of wrapping paper to force into the recycling bin.
They wake up to: A tasty breakfast containing protein and complex carbohydrates, such as poached eggs on toasted sourdough. And perhaps a smoothie alongside their typical tea/coffee. During these periods we would often look to support players’ immunity more than usual as they are susceptible to illness with the high workload and usual seasonal illnesses. This is where a product such as Bimuno® Immunity, a soluble powder that supports immune health might be found mixed into either their hot or cold beverage.
We gorge on: Endless tubs of chocolate and sweet treats! Think Quality Street, Celebrations, Roses, etc. And maybe an After Eight, too. Oh, and some posh crisps.
They snack on: Fresh fruit, yoghurts, nuts, biltong, hummus, or even perhaps some homemade/chef-made snacks like fresh cereal bars, flapjacks, protein balls, and let’s be honest, the odd hand into the sweet tin probably happens too.
We feast on: Roast turkey, pigs in blankets, roast spuds and all the trimmings, followed by Christmas pudding, Yule Log, or cheese and biscuits, all washed down with a glass or two of wine and maybe even a glass of port to finish.
They lunch on: Something very similar, but much less in quantity and minimal to no alcohol.
We glug: Buck’s Fizz, a couple down the local, sparkling wine to accompany lunch and potentially spirits we’d never ordinarily touch during the rest of the year.
They drink: Water or squash and the odd hydration/electrolyte drink to support pre-match hydration.
We unwind with: Several glasses of Baileys, perhaps a Mulled Wine, a couple of mince pies, followed by the inevitable snooze on the sofa.
They end the day with: A snack containing some protein and simple carbs, preferably some antioxidants in there too. Simple examples include granola with pouring yoghurt, berry fruit and honey (quick way to help refuel glycogen stores and repair muscles). Depending on kick-off times, the pre-bed snack would be similar, but might just be a bit more carbohydrate-dominant.
This is actually true but you’d have to eat a lot of carrots for it to happen. Carrots contain beta-carotene and if you consume too many, the excess beta-carotene enters your bloodstream where it is not properly broken down. Instead it is deposited in the skin, leading to an orange skin discolouration called carotenaemia. It is a common and harmless condition that typically affects infants when they begin eating solids since carrots are a popular choice among new parents.
Eating Turkey Makes You Sleepy
This is true. Turkey is rich in tryptophan, an amino acid that your body turns into a B vitamin called niacin. Niacin plays a key role in creating serotonin, a brain chemical that is associated with sleep. It is not just the turkey that makes you sleepy. It’s also the stuffing and potatoes because eating these carbohydrates allows the tryptophan to easily enter the brain speeding up the serotonin production. If you add alcohol into the mix as well, it is no wonder you can hardly keep your eyes open.
You Can Detoxify Your Body
Although an appealing idea, this myth is false. For doctors to know if a detox therapy works they need to know two things. Firstly, they need to know what toxin is being removed from the body and secondly they need to know how it will be removed. Researchers found that companies simply renamed ordinary processes like cleaning or brushing, calling the “detoxifying”. They used “detox” as an advertising buzzword. Legitimate detoxification happens in a hospital, usually when something has seriously gone wrong such as a patient with heavy metal poisoning or treatment of an alcoholic.
Exercise Makes You Smarter
This is true! It is not just your body that benefits from exercise but your brain too. Your body produces a chemical called irisin during endurance exercise. This activates genes related to learning and memory and results in new neurones being created. Exercise also lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Eating Late at Night Makes You Gain Weight
Another true myth … in general late-night eaters tend to weigh more and have a higher body mass index than those who eat earlier in the day. It is thought that this is because eating at night can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels.
Vitamin C Stops You Catching The Cold
This is false. Vitamin C does not stop you catching a cold but there is some evidence that it may reduce the duration of symptoms by a day or two if taken in high dose (1000mg daily).
You Should Wash Poultry Before Cooking
This is definitely false. Poultry should not be washed before cooking as this can increase the risk of food poisoning with campylobacter, a nasty bug that causes bloody diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and severe tummy cramps.
Fresh Vegetables Are More Nutritious Than Frozen
There are conflicting opinions on this one. If eaten within a few hours of picking, fresh produce is the most nutritious. However most “fresh” produce in shops is actually several days or even weeks old and the nutrients start to break down from the moment the produce if picked. On the other hand, many frozen vegetables are quick frozen very soon after picking and this preserves more of the nutrients. So unless you can grow your own vegetable and use them as soon as you pick them, frozen vegetables may be more nutritious.
All Fat is Bad For You
This is false. Healthy fats are essential for good health and have been shown to protect from a range of chronic diseases especially heart disease. Healthy fats include monounsaturates and polyunstaurates, found in nuts, seed, olive, olive oil and avocados. They also include omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish, linseeds, flaxseeds and soyabeans. You should minimise saturated fat intake; butter, cheese, red meats.
Eating Carrots Improves Your Eyesight
This myth has been about since World War Two when rumours circulated that pilots ate lots of carrots to optimise their vision. In reality, unless you a very deficient in vitamin A, more carrots won’t make any difference to your vision.
Natural Sugar Alternatives are Healthy
False. We all know eating too much sugar is bad for us, so it’s not surprising we convince ourselves natural sugar alternatives are healthy. However, our body still sees it as sugar. Agave syrup, maple syrup, honey and brown sugar are still sugar and although they may have more micronutrients than refined sugar, these are in such small quantities to make no meaningful difference. Sugar is sugar. The World Health Organisation recommends limiting daily added sugar to less than five per cent of energy intake (this equates to six to seven teaspoons).
Chocolate is Good For You
This is true; if it is dark chocolate and you limit it to two squares per day!
