Help Your Husband Live Longer

Many men don’t think about their health. Oneta Aldrich Dernelle shows how wives can help keep their husbands alive.

Wives outlive their husbands on average, but they can do a lot to keep them healthy in the meantime. Many men aren’t health conscious, often working too much, exercising too little and eating unwisely.

There are several ways wives can guide their husbands toward better health:

1 Serve healthy foods.

Bettye Nowlin, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association, suggests that only healthful foods low in sodium and fat should be served. Fruit and vegetables take priority. She recommends that healthy snacks such as carrot sticks, dry fruits and small slices of melon be prepared and left in the refrigerator for the hungry “snacker,” so that when he has hunger pangs, he won’t grab something fattening.

Obesity is one of the largest obstacles to good health. In a study by Dr David Alison and others at the Obesity Research Center at Columbia University in New York, approximately 300,000 Americans die each year as a result of living on a diet of biscuits, hot dogs, potato chips and other fattening foods. An excess of such “goodies” creates a health hazard.

2 Encourage exercise.

Too many men get comfortable in front of the television. This doesn’t help their waistline. Suggest a walk, cycling, bowling or some other activity that can be enjoyed by both husband and wife. Exercise helps to maintain muscle tone and heart health. An exercise that one enjoys can be fun as well as beneficial.

3 Have an annual check-up.

Because so many men are either too busy or unconcerned about their health, they fail to get a yearly physical examination.

A wife can remind her husband to phone the doctor for an appointment or can make one for him. An annual check-up is a safety measure.

Accompany him to his doctor’s appointment, if possible. If not, listen carefully to him after he returns home.

Did he get his questions answered by the doctor? Or did he forget to ask them? Before going to see the doctor make a list of the questions you or he wants to ask. Since most office visits are short, a list of questions will help best utilise the time and cut down on the comment later: “I forgot to ask about that.”

4 See that he takes his vitamins.

Look into the health benefits of vitamins. There are several books whose authors recommend a range of vitamins for better health. Two interesting and helpful books are S top Aging Now , by Jean Carper (based on extensive research), and S pontaneous Healing , by Dr Andrew Weil, a graduate of Harvard Medical School who practises natural and preventive medicine.

5 Cut down on stress.

Marion Roberts, a licensed mental health practitioner, suggests several ways to lower stress. She recommends exercise (to blow off steam), and relaxing techniques such as meditation and “quiet times.” Wives can help their husbands lower stress levels by providing a peaceful, loving home atmosphere. “Talking it out”— whatever the problem or subject—is another excellent way of lessening stress.

Talking and listening to each other can create an atmosphere of caring that dissipates stress.

Hobbies are another way of lowering stress. Dr Roberts says: “Hobbies create balance in a person’s life.” Sometimes wives complain about their husbands spending money, time, and often taking up space in the home for hobbies. But perhaps the hobbies should be viewed as one way of increasing a husband’s enjoyment of life—and possibly his longevity.

6 Ensure he gets enough rest.

Sleep and restful recreation are needed to keep the body energised.

Wives usually take the lead in planning social activities and in work that needs to be done at the home. A husband’s energy level should be considered.

For physical work at home—mowing grass, painting, cleaning the garage and other tasks—and if he doesn’t have the energy, he shouldn’t be pushed. It is better to plan social activities and home work so that he doesn’t become overtired. If he doesn’t have the time, energy or inclination to do the work, hire someone to do it, if possible.

7 Eliminate potential physical hazards.

Thousands of adults are hurt at home by accidents that could have been avoided. The main place home accidents occur is the bathroom. Slipping in the bathtub may be avoided by using a skid-proof mat in the tub and installing a grab bar.

Other hazards: loose scatter or throw rugs, wobbly ladders, broken pathways and poor lighting.

The Johns Hopkins Injury Prevention Center recommends that because older persons need twice or three times the light as younger ones, light fixtures should have the highest wattage, usually 100 watts. Nightlights in hallways, bathrooms and floodlights on the outside of the house may save someone from stumbling and falling.

Smoke alarms need to be checked routinely to make sure the batteries are working. By taking safety precautions in and around the home a wife may be protecting not only her husband’s life, but her own! Of course, men have a reciprocal obligation to do their part without a wife applying pressure—and in helping to maintain the health and vigour of their spouse.

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