6/21/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Matthew Hansen, 359th Medical Operations Squadron Family Health Clinic physician assistant, said while obesity has been among the nation's health problems for men and women, it greatly increases the chance of cardiovascular disease in men.
Since Men's Health Month takes place in June, men at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph should have many reasons to keep their health a top priority, Hansen said.
"Randolph has an older population that tends to be sedentary because of desk jobs," he said, which factors into becoming obese. "Obesity is a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension."
Consistent exercise is one of the best combatants against obesity, especially cardio-related workouts done with the right amount of intensity for men past a certain age.
"Regular exercise at least three times a week with 45-60 minutes devoted to each workout is ideal," Hansen said. "Low-impact walking, elliptical work and stationary cycling are good exercises. If you don't have any knee or back problems, jogging works well too. Just be sure to rest for a day or two for healing and alternate between high- and low-impact workouts."
Hansen said men can lose 1-3 percent of muscle mass each year after they turn 40 years old, which is why working out to maintain muscle mass is important.
Proper dieting is another health benefit that can reduce the risk of obesity and subsequent heart problems.
"What you eat matters," Hansen said. "Try to avoid simple carbs that are found in starches."
One rule of thumb to avoid simple carbs is "if it's white, it's not right," referring to foods like breads and potatoes - which should be limited in a diet because of how the body stores it, he said.
Some simple carbs found in natural sources like fruit and milk products are acceptable; it's the kind found in processed foods like cake, candy and soda - intended for "quick" energy - that should be avoided.
Another issue Hansen addressed for Men's Health Month was obstructive sleep apnea.
There is no concrete evidence that obesity causes OSA - an obstruction of the upper airway associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation that can cause pauses of breathing lasting from 20 to 40 seconds - but Hansen made a connection from his work at the clinic.
"About 75 percent of the patients I've worked with who have OSA are obese," he said.
Having a large neckline (sometimes stemmed from obesity) can increase the risk for OSA.
OSA presents health risks such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and strokes.
Obesity can affect one's ability to receive a revitalizing sleep, in turn affecting one's energy and stress levels the next day, Hansen said.
Stress is another risk factor regarding men's heart health.
Many members in leadership roles on Randolph are reaching military retirement age, a time when their next transition will move them into the civilian sector.
The shift into civilian life presents different types of stress that can be damaging if not prepared for, Hansen said.
"You may no longer have time to work out that was allotted to you in the military; you may no longer be in a (rigid) military type of organization; and you may no longer have a chain of command," he said.
With a new civilian life must come a rebalancing of priorities that include family, exercise and personal time, Hansen said.
While on base, members have time to use certain facilities to set in place healthy lifestyle habits.
The Randolph Health and Wellness Center is one such place to help balance people's diet, exercise and stress.
Kim Houk, HAWC exercise physiologist, said the HAWC offers a relaxation room consisting of four massage chairs that are free to Department of Defense cardholders. The chairs are available via walk-ins 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Houk said the HAWC also offers a Bod Pod, which helps members learn their body fat percentage.
"The Bod Pod measures body fat composition and gives an estimate of resting metabolic rate, which can aid people in achieving their health improvement goals," she said.
Appointments can be made to use the machine 8 a.m.-noon, Mondays and Fridays.
The Randolph Health Clinic has been rated the best in the Air Force (out of 270 clinics) the last four quarters, and Hansen lauded the clinic for its "team-on-one" approach of spending quality time with patients.
To reach the medical clinic, Bldg. 1040, call 652-6403. To reach the HAWC, Bldg. 999, call 652-2300.