Fat the fate of Estonian guys fit while young

Oliver Kund
, reporter
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Photo: SCANPIX

Meet the average Estonian guy called Paul. While a schoolboy, he was probably rather sporty and rose to his peak shape by end of army service. At the age of 35, however, Paul became a couch potato. It was only two decades later that he turned a page – after doctors broke the bad news.

The above was no fiction but a summary of this year’s study by National Institute for Health Development (TAI). Whatever table one delves into, it is between 35 and 54 years of age that the male health data goes into nosedive. The season of intense work, raising kids, and stressing out equals a lapse in exercise when the least attention is paid to one’s physical shape. Often, the harvest is reaped before pension, as the average Estonian guy dies nine years before a woman.

«There is this syndrome in medicine named metabolic syndrome (people having certain diseases and disorders at the same time – edit),» observes family doctor and Estonian Health Foundation head Eero Merilind as I ask him to tell me the plain facts: why will 20 years of neglect result in death ten years sooner.

«Certain changes occur in the organism – blood sugar begins to rise, cholesterol begins to clog the blood vessels. That causes higher blood pressure and added weight. People will have an increasingly hard time to move: with every 10–20 kilograms added, extra load is applied to the heart. During 10–15 years these result in a totally healthy guy becoming a handicapped or disabled by 50,» relates Mr Merilind.

Lifestyle change spurned

To escape the downhill slide, several mental obstacles must be overcome. Today, the usual is for the ordinary Estonian guy to change nothing about his lifestyle before something happens to him personally or with a loved one. Often, the damage will then be hard to reverse. The other hindrance is being in such a bad shape that it’s easy to say: the health allows no sports.

«Anyone has his reasons why not. But with self-motivation, public health might get a boost,» diagnoses Mr Merilind.

To address men like these, for the third year running Health Foundation organised the initiative «Get Men in Shape» (Mehed vormi). The core of it being a Defence Forces test in use in all NATO armies and based on scientific analysis. Under the test, people will have to do a maximal amount of push-ups and sit-ups during two minutes and run 3.2 kilometres clocking the time.

Though the exercises seem simple, they are excellent to assess shape. According to results, 100 points are the ceiling at each exercise. Which leads us to the point of it all.

As underlined by Defence Forces sports service chief Major Heino Märks, to be deemed in good shape people need to do at least 60–70 points at each try. That being the lower limit for conscripts.

«For the ordinary person, this might be the goal to be able to say he is healthy and fit to work,» said the Major.

Maj. Märks said the sad shape of males is already evident with young conscripts.

«Basically 60 percent do not fit us; they are not ready for conscript service i.e. they fail to get the needed points at initial test,» he describes. «For very many, all they did sports-wise was at physical education classes at school. They have lived a couple of years after school without doing anything actively at all.»

Maj. Märks said the reason is that we have guys coming for conscript service now who were supposed to start training during the downturn of 2008–2009. As parents lacked resources, they never got the sporting habits.

Surprisingly, the same factors actually apply to all men. The TAI study says that residence-wise Tallinn has the largest amount of sporty people, and the rural areas the least. Also, a link exists between sports and income – among those making under €300, 29.6 percent do no sports at all; among people making over €899 the percentage is mere 5.9.

«Running has always been the worst. I’m sure that over 90 percent have the technique wrong. Basically this should be taught but they don’t invest much into it in schools or other places,» notes Maj. Märks.

While eight years ago all conscripts run in one group, by now the level differs so vastly that separate groups need to be formed for training.

With this, family doctor Mr Merilind and running coach Kristjan Puusild agree. For men, it is hard to embrace aerobic exercise as the first effects are only felt after two-three months of active training.

«People want results very fast. Having no time, they launch into it without proper preparation and ignoring the condition of the body,» said Mr Puusild.

After the first setback, most give up. The running coach advises that before starting to jog people lose weight or only walk for a month or two.

Defence Forces chief doctor Targo Lusti says that generally speaking the young men have no permanent health disorders but are affected from bad shape.

«The insufficient load is what causes bone and muscle diseases. While a teenager, a person still develops, but as insufficient muscle mass is grown onto the skeleton, carriage trouble deepen,» he describes.

Mr Lusti thinks the instable shape is also due to Estonian climate which does not allow free-of-charge sports all year round. «Will the young person who sets out to live on his own find €50 a month from his salary for sports club?» he doubts.

Mr Lusti thinks the training gap might be reduced by the state releasing health costs for employees from fringe benefit tax.

Male health no priority

Surprisingly, Estonian state does not deal with improvement of male health. The whole energy and all the money goes to treat injuries and cut consumption of tobacco and alcohol, admits social ministry’s chief public health specialist Triinu Täht.

The main state initiative for men right now is a soon-to-begin alcohol cure program with near-term expenses of €10m and expected to result in smoothly functioning addiction treatment.

Ms Täht says that even with exercise campaigns are organised, only a small group benefits.

«If information is spread but the steps left for people to take, the highly educated and better off are proportionally much more involved,» she says.

Ergo, for a broader change, a measure more forceful is needed. The abolishing of fringe benefit tax has repeatedly been under discussion, but to no avail. Thus far, Soc Dems and Centre have been for it, but Reform against.

«In the health sector, we have always supporter the ides, but this is a political decision. At the moment, I do not foresee the coming of more wallet-friendly sporting conditions,» admits Ms Täht.

Are you in shape?

The doctors say a person is in good shape with a minimum of 70 points achieved in every aspect of Defence Forces fitness test.

For example:

A male of 20 is fit if able to:

do at least 47 push-ups in 2 minutes

do at least 55 sit-ups in 2 minutes

run 3,200 metres at 15.12 or faster

A female of 20 is fit if able to:

do at least 25 push-ups in 2 minutes

do at least 55 sit-ups in 2 minutes

run 3,200 metres at 18.06 or faster

A male of 45 is fit if able to:

do at least 36 push-ups in 2 minutes

do at least 37 sit-ups in 2 minutes

run 3,200 metres at 18.06 or faster

A female of 45 is fit if able to:

do at least 18 push-ups in 2 minutes

do at least 37 sit-ups in 2 minutes

run 3,200 metres at 23.12 or faster

Source: Defence Forces

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