It is one of life’s great mysteries how precisely half the population can so blithely ignore their own well-being, even in the face of compelling evidence of a problem.

But that is exactly what far too many men all over the country continue to do, despite a sharp increase in health awareness campaigns in recent years.

The origins of this problem go to the very heart of the pressure society places on boys from their earliest age to behave according to long-held expectations.

Boys don’t ask for help, and they certainly don’t cry.

Rather, they are encouraged not to show pain, fear or any other signs of perceived “weakness”, and lauded for their “bravery” when they comply.

Any bruise or wound is worn like a badge honour in the school yard as it provides a handy and irrefutable gauge of someone’s “toughness”.

However, any boy living with a chronic illness requiring operations or medications is not afforded the same respect as those with a temporary ailment caused by misadventure.

Is it any wonder that as boys become men these attitudes are so entrenched they become almost impossible to break later in life?

The statistics don’t lie.

A baby boy born in Australia in 2010 has a life expectancy of 78 years, compared to 82.3 years for a baby girl, according to the Men’s Health Week organisation.

Twice as many men as women die from lung cancer, liver disease, Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer, and almost twice as many from heart disease.

Perhaps most concerning is that men take their own lives at four times the rate of women.

Suicide, more so than any other of the major killers of men, can be prevented if proper and effective help is sought and received.

But it is apparent that our men, from their earliest years, are not being equipped with the necessary skills to handle their health.

For the sake of our men, there needs to be a seismic shift in the qualities we, as a society, place the most emphasis on.

- Ross Tyson, deputy editor

If you need help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.