Business submitted article by Glassfull.
“If I could offer you only one tip for the future… sunscreen would be it.”
My mum is a legend. Despite multiple health challenges, she should defiantly power through into her ninth decade. I’m grateful for her and her views on natural remedies; they instilled in me and my sibling, positive values around nutrition and self-care.
Unfortunately, they also instilled a distrust of prescription medication and a reluctance to seek medical advice… or apply sunscreen, but more on that later!
A report released for Men’s Health Week 2026 suggests I’m not the only man for whom this is true.
An Unfilled Prescription highlights while most men use their local pharmacy, only a quarter speak to the pharmacist about a health concern.
Over half of men say not seeking advice has led to consequences such as missed work and strained relationships, particularly amongst men aged 25–34.
My mum is approaching 90, but one in five men have died by the age of 65. The biggest risk for those under 50 is suicide; for men aged 50 to 65, it’s cardiovascular disease, occasionally masked by apparent good health.
So this week, I’d encourage you or your loved ones to be more proactive about your health. To pop and see the pharmacist or doctor about that niggle you think is probably nothing.
And about that sunscreen? Back in the day, mum wasn’t a fan. She believed gradual sun exposure would build the body’s natural immunity. Perhaps, but “the long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proven by scientists”.
I’ll finish as I started, with a quote from Baz Luhrmann’s iconic track, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)”.
“Be careful whose advice you buy,
…be patient with those who supply it…
But trust me on the sunscreen.”
Jonathan Downes, Founder and Lead Coach, Glassfull.
