The Irish Farmers Journal teamed up with Full Health Medical, ICOS and Movember Ireland to bring these free health checks to marts around the country as part of our Fovember campaign, to raise awareness of men’s health this November.

Farmers were once again lining up in their numbers in Raphoe mart last Thursday 5 November. Almost 60 health checks were carried out on the day, which included a full heart check (blood pressure, body mass index and cholesterol), a diabetes screen, mental health advice, prostate cancer awareness, and nutrition, lifestyle and exercise advice.

Similarly to Roscommon mart, weight and high blood pressure were the main problems found.

Over 90% of farmers in Raphoe were found to be overweight or obese. Three out of four were also suffering from high blood pressure.

Dr Jack Halligan from Full Health Medical said that the only significant difference between the two marts was cholesterol.

Some 39% of farmers had high cholesterol in Raphoe, compared with 31% in Roscommon. This poses the question: does the red meat in Ulster have a higher fat percentage than the red meat in Connacht?

Farmers advised to eat more green veg

Dr Jack Halligan offered some advice for those suffering from high blood pressure and weight.

“Blood pressure can be reduced by losing weight, getting regular exercise and reducing your salt and coffee intake.

“Try to replace some of those spuds with green vegetables and choose low-fat dairy products,” he said.

According to Dr Halligan, many farmers reported not exercising apart from when they’re on the farm.

“Getting active outside of the farm is a big help too. Try walking a mile or two in the evenings. Your heart and your mind will thank you for it,” he said.

A number of farmers in Raphoe also reported significant difficulties with mood or stress.

If you would like to talk to somebody now, call the Samaritans on 116 123, or visit your GP.

There are 3,000 cases of prostate cancer diagnosed in Ireland every year and Jack is also urging farmers to keep an eye out for the symptoms.

Needing to urinate very frequently, especially at night, poor urine flow, blood in the urine or semen, difficulty starting the flow of urine, excessive dribbling at the end of the flow of urine and unexplained weight loss are some of the symptoms.

Our next free health check is taking place on Wednesday 10 November in Corrin mart, Co Cork, followed by Castleisland mart in Co Kerry on Thursday 11 November. Visit our page to donate or to get involved in our Fovember campaign.