Tomorrow is the day to tell Dad to sit down and put his feet up.

But far from spoiling him rotten, evidence shows he should be looking after himself as a first step to a better lifestyle.

A new survey has shown that under half of Yorkshiremen take care of their health. And not a single doctor in the region thought males looked after themselves better than females.

The amount of men and boys ignoring their health is so worrying, professionals in Bradford have teamed up to find out why they are so unwilling to step into the GP surgery and take care of their bodies.

Health of Men (HOM), funded by Bradford's Health Action Zone, is a network of health visitors and nurses who aim to raise awareness of men's issues, from testicular cancer and heart disease to sexual health and depression.

"We sent out a questionnaire on attitudes to men's health last July," explained HOM co-ordinator and public health facilitator Nigel Hughes.

"We asked if they would like to have more help and advice and out of 450, 388 said 'yes'.

"Research shows that men have a high rate of disease and conditions and they have greater problems throughout their life. But there's something in their mind that maybe the services do not seem relevant to them and then there's the macho attitude that there's nothing wrong.

"Women with children are traditionally more likely to go to their GP and feel more at ease about talking about problems with sexual health."

Men on the other hand are more likely to talk to a doctor if clinics are based in leisure centres, clubs and the city centre, he added.

As a result of its research, HOM has set up drop-in clinics in Bradford and Keighley and health visitors are educating men in the work place.

Schoolboys have also been targeted regarding sex education and the team are about to launch an interactive computer programme about heart disease to "engage" men in health issues and make them more fun.

The top three problems men confessed to feeling worried about in the research were stress, heart disease and cancer.

But surprisingly, mental health is on HOM's agenda, with four out of five suicides in the 18 to 25-year-old age range being male. Health and safety at work is also an issue, but instead of heavy industry-related illnesses, office-linked conditions such as repetitive strain injury and bad backs are being tackled.

And to advise men on all these problems, HOM is bidding to create the first ever healthy living centre in the UK specifically for men.

"It's a nationwide problem," says Mr Hughes. "What we are looking at now is saying to men is 'How would you like the service delivered?' and 'What can we do to help you take up the service?'."

*The first session of Keighley's men only drop-in clinic will be held at Victoria Hall on July 10 from 4pm until 7pm. Bradford's drop-in clinic called The Lad's Room is aimed at youngsters and is held every Tuesday at the centre on Broadway between 2pm and 4.30pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.