Men’s poor health choices cost economy billions: report

WATCH: Men’s bad lifestyle choices could be costing the economy, says Canadian Men’s Health Foundation report

A study commissioned by the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation has found unhealthy lifestyle choices are running rampant and proving costly in more ways than one.

“There was an overall $36.9 billion cost to the economy just from four simple lifestyle factors: nutrition, activity, smoking, drinking,” said Wayne Hartrick of the Canadian Men’s Health Foundation.

Here’s the breakdown: $13 billion is attributable to smoking; $11.9 billion to obesity; $7.6 billion to alcohol and $4.4 billion to physical inactivity.

A third of the total goes directly to health care while the remaining two-thirds covers long- and short-term disability and insurance plans.

But that’s just the economic impact.

“The really sad part is the social cost,” said Hartrick. “The cost, for example, when you look at 48 per cent of women over 65 are widows and a lot of those fall below the poverty line.”

One man in five will die before the age of 65. But doctors say with a healthy lifestyle, the male body should be able to last for as long as 120 years.

Simple choices like eating better and exercising more can hugely reduce the risk of developing chronic conditions.

Hartrick hopes these latest findings will help raise awareness and spark conversation during Canadian Men’s Health Week, which runs from June 15 to June 21.

WATCH: Day a time to raise awareness for men’s health

-with files from Kylie Stanton