Jeff Gragg thinks most men are generally “below average” when it comes to taking good care of their health.

He’s not being harsh, especially since he had his own go-around with keeping fit.

“I spent 10 years in the military,” he said. “Afterwards, I took a desk job and just ballooned up to 300 pounds. I made my exercise program fit into my schedule at all costs. I changed my whole way of life.”

Gragg, 40, said he can see some of the reasons men struggle with taking good care of themselves.

“A lot of people in my age group have just quit,” he said. “They used to be active, but now they put in so many hours at their jobs that they don’t have time to work out.”

On a regular exercise program for years now, Gragg said any man who can find a way to improve fitness will feel much better overall.

“Your health and well being is so much different if you are getting some kind of activity; even just walking,” he said. “But once you decide, you need to start immediately. You can’t say ‘I’ll do it tomorrow.’”

The Oklahoma State Department of Health is celebrating National Men’s Health Week, June 9-15. The theme, “Stay Tough! Stay Healthy!” helps call attention to the importance of men’s health.

“We want to encourage men to make their health a top priority. Men are more likely than women to be uninsured or underinsured,” said Secretary of Health and State Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Crutcher. “Men need to visit their doctor and make sure their health screenings, tests and immunizations are up-to-date.”

Men often forget that preventive health care such as testicular self-exams, PSA (prostate specific antigen) blood tests, colorectal cancer screenings, cholesterol and blood sugar checks are an important part of staying healthy. When a man is healthy, he reduces his likelihood of illness, injuries and depression, and he has lower absenteeism at work and may have reduced health care costs.

One in four Oklahoma men who die from heart disease will die before age 65. Stroke is also a primary health issue for Oklahoma men, with one in five deaths from stroke occurring before age 65.

Risk factors associated with these high rates of cardiovascular disease and stroke in Oklahoma include tobacco use, obesity, and physical inactivity, which contribute to the high mortality rates in Oklahoma, according to public health officials.

Another important area to focus on is reproductive health for men. More than half of the live births in Oklahoma were reported as unintended pregnancies. Effective family planning is crucial to reduce this high percentage.

National Men’s Health Week also provides an opportunity for individuals to learn about the Strong and Healthy Oklahoma Initiative, which challenges all Oklahomans to eat better, move more and be tobacco free.

Dr. Daniel Murphy, medical director of radiation oncology at Muskogee Regional Cancer Center, said men are doing better than in decades past but still have a long way to go.