Debbie Keel's husband Patrick and her grandson, Charlie.

By DEBBIE KEEL
North Fulton Hospital CEO

In my 31 years of marriage (yes, to the same man, Patrick), I have never been happier with that man.

Not because he just bought me new furniture, which he did. Not because he took my car to the dealership for service and even got it washed. Not because I’m sitting here working at 10:15 p.m. and he’s not mad at me for doing so.

Those things are all wonderful (and he is pretty much a saint to be married to this workaholic, type-A woman). But the thing I’m most happy about is that after years of me begging him and, yes, harassing him, he’s finally begun to take really good care of himself.

He’s watching more than TV these days. He’s watching what he eats. He’s not working every day (he’s happily retired), but he’s working out. And he’s had some big weight loss – so far about 20 pounds.

This is very likely similar to hundreds, if not thousands, of stories in our community about women and the men they love.

In 2011, Esquire Magazine took a survey. In a story about the results, the magazine reported that “many men are ignorant about their health. A third haven’t had a checkup in more than a year. Almost half don’t even have a doctor. Three in four don’t know their BMI, and 40 percent of men in their 40s haven’t had a simple cholesterol test. Men don’t talk about health.”

Esquire went on to say that men “don’t complain about it (their health) or ask for advice about it. But we do worry about it. Silently and insufficiently, but we worry.”

Gentlemen, please stop worrying silently and take some action. And what a great time to do so. It’s a great time to get a checkup if you haven’t had one recently. It’s an even better time to heed the results of that physical.

If you are overweight, shed the pounds through a sensible, sustainable diet. If you have poor eating habits, at least make an effort to eat more things that are good for you more frequently.

You could join a gym or you could just walk – around the neighborhood, around the block, up and down the stairs at work.

Do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Do it for the woman who really doesn’t want to harass you about your health, but doesn’t know how else to get you to wake up.

And Patrick, thanks!