Snap Surveys

'Malehealth snap surveys help to make sure that

the Men's Health Forum reflects the views of

as many men as possible. By taking part,

you can help us make sure that we're saying what you think when we talk to government

and other policy makers.'

Dr Ian Banks, president of the MHF

Click here for the current survey

Previous surveys

Jan 2009: 3 out of 4 embarrassed by 'moobs'

Many men would consider surgery to reduce the size of their breasts - perhaps more than half according to the latest malehealth snap survey.

• Full story.

Sept 2008: Email never goes on holiday

Work-related email can follow you anywhere — even on holiday. And, according to the latest malehealth snap survey, one in four of you are not happy with the situation.

However, a lot of you must have been on holiday as the sample size is tiny but there were still some interesting findings. Nearly half of you — 43% - do pick up work-emails and maintain mobile phone contact when on work. But there was a lucky one in five who got a complete break: 21% said that work didn't even know where they were going.

Among your comments were:

• Probably best to take a complete break, but I can't bear the hassle of weeks of work piled up when I get back so do a little to sty on top
• Would be great to be able to take a complete break but at the same time I think I'd rather not come back to any nasty surprises. Being available means that I can still feel like I'm on top of things if necessary and can relax a bit better knowing that if there was a disaster I'd know about it.
• Yes, a complete break is necessary
• Is it best to take a complete break from work or not? Yes but you do tend to worry about what is happening back at the ranch.
• You bet I don't take my mobile on holiday and work only knows the town I am in
• It is important to keep abreast of developing situations
• It's good to take a break but if you return to loads of e-mails that have been left for you by others then you don't get the real benefit. I plan to take a complete week off, then another couple of days when I shall participate in two 1-hour audio-conferences.

Aug 2008: Your views on passive smoking

In April, to stimulate discussion, we published an article by Dave Atherton, a smoker campaigning against the smoking ban in public places. He denied that second-hand smoke was dangerous to health.

• This is some of your feedback.
• Read the original article here.

Apr 2008: Men don't like their bodies

You are unhappy with your bodies: 62% of respondents said they weren't happy with how their body looked and a further 7% didn't know. Fewer than one man in three was happy with his body.

The most common concern was being overweight. Increasing body hair with age was not popular either. There is a selection of the feedback below. Click here for the news story with all the data.

• Although I have answered yes to liking my body I wouldn't say that with 100% confidence. I would say i'm about 60-40 in favour of my body, although I would like to improve it. Men's health mags do put men under pressure to look good. However at least this ideal of a relatively fit toned man is positive healthly thing to aim for. Unlike womens mags were the ideal is to be dangerously slim.
• Overweight, not well developed, poorly endowed
• way out of proportion. thin arms and legs, large, long torso
• I dont like my stomach, I dont have a six pack so dont like it at all and feel tubby!when you see models with 6 packs it motivates you to try get one but also makes you not like the little tubbiness!
• I dont like my stomach, thighs bum, there is so much pressure and people look at you funny because magazines and telly make them think its how i should look, friends just say your ok but they just want to make you feel better, i find it very difficult to lose weight and im on my feet all day but that does not help. I would love to be "normal' but just dont know if i can achieve it
• Back hair, and my ribs they stick out, no matter how much I exercise I am unable to get a good body I have tried for many years
• I am very over weight but I cannot lose this I have tried and tried. I just cannot lose it. I am ashamed of my body and feel everybody is looking at me when I go out so I tent to stay in more.
• 15 years ago, in my late 30s, I was very concerned about my body shape, especially my paunch. I followed a low-fact diet and went to the gym regularly. This self-consciousness followed a divorce which happened because my wife had an affair with a much younger man. Now I have three children, a busy job, a good long-term relationship and am much less bothered despite being slightly overweight, balding and visibly ageing (I'm now in my early 50s). What bothers me most now is my physical unfitness.

Jan 2008: Pornography divides us

Our ambiguous attitude to pornography was reflected in the January snap survey.

Although most respondents - 98% of whom were male - thought it was 'generally healthy' (56%), a significant minority of more than one person in three (34%) disagreed. Many people also thought it damaged relationships between men and and women and exploited women.

• Full story: Not black and white.

Nov 2007: Desperately seeking sleep

Men aren't getting enough ZZZs. Among respondents to November's snap survey, the majority of men had not had a decent night's sleep for at least a week.

Only 41% of male respondents had had a good night's kip within the last seven days. Most worryingly, 24%, nearly one in four, said their last really good night's sleep was 'so long ago I can't remember'.

By contrast the admittedly far smaller number of female respondents had all had a decent night's sleep within the last month!

The most common reasons men gave for not sleeping were 'problems', 'worrying', going to the toilet' and 'partner's snoring'. There were also a couple of new babies cited, several men blaming 'gaming' and one individual who held 'Facebook' responsible.

Sleep is vital to health. Rats deprived of sleep die within five weeks (compared to an average life-expectancy of 3-5 years). In humans sleep helps both body and brain, protecting against major diseases and depression, boosting memory and allowing the body to repair itself. A good new year's resolution for all blokes: doing what ever it takes to get a decent night's kip (including, if necessary, quitting Facebook!)

Oct 2007: Yes to HPV vaccine

Should boys be vaccinated to prevent the spread of the infection that causes cervical cancer? Most malehealth readers thought so.

Some 55% of men and 88% of women said boys should be vaccinated against HPV, the virus that cause the majority of cases of the cancer. Over 92% of both sexes thought girls should be vaccinated.

• Full story including all your comments and even an apology from the malehealth editor here.

Aug 2007: No to statins

Surprisingly little interest among you in whether or not men should be prescribed statins whether they need them or not. But of the 63 responses, 69% were against statins for everyone.

However those who did respond had some very interesting things to say:

• I would think that prescription, with clear guidance and balanced opinion from GP is reasonable. The patient then has a choice in whether to accept the prescription and collect the medication after hearing the evidence. This would promote informed choice on the part of the individual and potentially act as a means to discuss wider lifestyle issues that are relevant.
• Why not eat and exercise properly. Humans were not created to take drugs, it's unnatural and they create side effects. They also put more money into the pockets of drug companies.
• I'm not sure that we should routinely medicate people
• My father used to take them, and he became quite removed and borderline senile. I just thought he was getting old, but after several months he quit and now he's back to his old sharp witted self! Several of his friends agree on this extremely negative side effect.
• A good preventative approach to health problems.
• There has never been any evidence that random prevention can make a difference, as this drug does not work like a vaccine.
• I will take the appropriate medication for MY situation. The government would do better banning Trans Fats.
• Cholesterol can be lowered by diet and exercise. It would be far cheaper to give good, tailored usable advice on lifestyle. It would also give men a sense of achievement, taking control and accepting responsibility for thenmselves. Some will still need medical halp to control cholesterol levels, but we need to get away from the arrogant, patronising, control-freak attitudes that underlie this proposal.
• I had an anaphylactic shock after taking atorvastatin.
• As I see it as we get older we tend to do less exercise therefore our cardio vascular system does not do to much in getting rid of all the fatty substances we call good food from our blood canals. So, a little help does not hurt providing of course it is well supervised. I am on Simvastatin 40mg and have been for four years, which I'm told is the maximum dosage allowed, but I need some assistance as I suffered a Myocardial Infarction 1985. This has resulted in me not being able to do the exercises that would enable me to keep my weight down, I do not over eat.

June 2007: If not beer, what?

Men in Brighton were encouraged to take a health check with the offer of a free pint of beer — 2 out of 3 of you (67%) thought this was not 'a good idea'.

We asked what might encourage men to see their GP. Some 76% of you called for evening and week-end surgeries. One respondant commended 'the initiative being proposed in Scotland allowing people to register with two GP practices, one near home and one near work. I work 43 miles from home and so would need to take nearly half a day off for a 5 minute appointment.'

The other most popular ideas were: no need to make an appointment (48%) and men only clinics (27%) — there was a call for male receptionists too. It's also a question of bedside manner: 27% of you said you'd be more likely to see your GP if they were nicer to talk to.

Indeed, a lot of the comments referred to attitudes of medical staff:

• GP having more time for you than 5 minutes consultation. Not really sexier but just nicer more caring receptionists.
• Receptionists need to be polite, patient and helpful
• A friendlier, less 'gatekeeper' attitude would be nice.
• Actually getting an appointment and not having to wait 6 weeks. When there, not made to feel as if you were part of a production line.

Finally one man wanted a 'guarantee of anonymity'. He said: 'GPs work for the state many men are rightly uncomfortable with state intrusion in to the private life of the individual.'

May 2007: What men's health video would help you?

Thanks to all of you who suggested possible malehealth videos. We'll be putting your suggestions to Dr Chris Steele's team — the people who brought the excellent video on examining your testicles which YouTube censored.

Some of our favourite suggestions were:

• how to put on a condom
• examples of 'normal, healthy and safe' things and 'may be a problem, get someone to look at it' things (eg. moles/spots that can develop into cancer)
• steroid abuse
• other cancers eg. oral cancer
• sexually-transmitted infections
• healthy and simple cooking ideas
• how to properly strech the foreskin for those that have phimiosis, tight frenulum or rigid band of the penis.
• How about performing a breast exam on the wife? I am serious!
• basis exercise for heart health
• what happens in circumcision
• the best way(s) to shave for optimum results and skin health
• how to tone up your body without having to go to the gym
• what happens in a vasectomy
• how to correctly cut toe and finger nails
• how to examine penis for phimosis, tumours, smegma or anything else
• how to masturbate more effectively
• how to give yourself an erection
• skin problems and nail infections

April 2007: should we take advertising?

Advertising is fine with malehealth readers. In our most recent snap survey, nearly 92% of respondants felt it was OK for the site to take advertising. There was one no-no — no pop-ups.

Comments included:

• If it helps to pay for the site, that's OK. I guess you editors are smart enough not to let the ads distort the content.
• Important to keep this website going for it's valuble contribution to male health and if that means a little advertising to generate some revenue to help support it then thats fine by me.
• Yes but with care. Adverts should be from reputable organisations. Although, if it's a question of accept adverts or fold, then perhaps even this caveat would not be so important.
• Only because you will need the income to carry on the Malehealth site
• Will those that propagate no advertising be prepared to pay for subscription to access high quality information?
• It is important that Male Health is sustainable and this may require funding from the private sector in the form of advertisements. As long as the ads, company or related organisations are not ethically dubious or promote goods or activities that contradict the messages of Mens Health (e.g. McDonalds) altough this can be difficult to vet!
• I think that Malehealth is an amazing thing and such a wonderful benefit to every online man the world over. I'm hugely grateful to you for what you do, not just for myself but for all your users. If placing a few ads here and there help raise funds for you to continue what you do and promote other products and services, what's the problem?
• Best if its related to health or Men.
• Because most advertising is for things that most men don't need. Especially male enhancement techniques or pills. Now if it was for things that most men could use then I wouldn't mind. Also some people view your site from all over the world and it is hard to get things from the UK if you don't live there.
• I think as you are providing excellent FREE advice, it would be unreasonable to complain about a few banner ads here and there.
• It doesn't make a difference and adverts might improve someone's life if the products do what they're supposed to do.
• Don't like "pop-up" ads! If they're just around the web page - that's tolerable. The Guardian newspaper site carries ads but it still a great site.
• So long as there is a relevence. Not some sexy bunny in a provocative pose selling Viagra!
• I think it is ok if it keeps the site operating. I don't mind what adverts are used on health sites but would like to see adverts to compliment them such as condoms for the younger site visitors as well as STDs
• I tend to ignore adverts on the web, the same as I do in newspapers and magazines. I look at them, register that it's an advert and move on to something that might interest me.
• It makes little different whether it is a health site or not, as long as the advertising is relevant to the audience and not too obtrusive (as in pop-ups or those annoying adverts that open within the same page and cover the stuff you're trying to read). I would like to think that malehealth.org.uk wouldn't start carrying adverts for little blue pills or weight gain/loss magic formulae etc...
• I have no problem with any sites advertising. I do however despise malicious advertising that attempts to seize control of a PC, forces continuous pop-ups or carries spyware or viruses. As long as you use only clean and user friendly ads that allow the user to remain in control I have no problem.
• It's a thing of our time. OK if related to the Site ie health or things men find interesting. Perhaps the Advertisers could have links to MH site too as part of the deal?
• I hate sites with pop-up ads, I will never click on them and will usually avoid sites that use them.
• Don't mind as long as there isn't too much advertising.

Jan 2007: what was your new year resolution?

Over 70% of respondants to our new year's resolution survey had made a resolution. The most popular target (24%) was an expanding waistline followed by pledges to take more exercise (13%) or stop smoking (11%).

There were some interesting other resolutions. One reader wanted to thank Bruce Forsyth for inspiring him to want to learn to dance. Another said he would 'stop being Mr Nice Guy.' More ambitiously, one reader promised 'to seek moderation where I overindulge and to start exercising and eating right where I have been too moderate'. Finally good luck to the reader who said he would 'take regular exercise rather than just thinking I should or sitting on my arse when I could be out - like now.'

• Snap surveys from 2006 here.
• Snap Surveys from 2005 here.