by Christa Sgobba

But theres one big exception: suicide.

According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide rates overall have increased by 24 percent from 1999 to 2014.

And in middle age men, the spike is even higher. Suicide rates for men ages 45 to 64 jumped by 43 percent during that time period.

<h1> Whats Responsible For the Suicide Rise In Middle Aged Men? </h1>

Unfortunately, there isnt one cause that can explain the spike in suicide rates for middle age men, says Christine Moutier, M.D., the chief medical officer for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Theres likely a convergence of multiple factors within men in this age group that makes them especially vulnerable, she says.

For instance, guys in general tend to be more resistant than women are about getting mental help in the first place.

And that may be one reason why men continue to die from suicide at more than three times the rate as women, as the new report showed.

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Many men behave stoically in the face of health issuesespecially for those regarding mental healthand operate under the belief that they can get through them on their own, Dr. Moutier says.

The protective thing to do is reach out and connect with people, both interpersonally for social support, but also to access mental health care, she says.

Men of all ages tend to struggle with that, but the economic stress over the past decade or sorecessions, job losses, and downsizingsmay have packed a greater punch to older guys than their younger peers.

Men in the older part of middle age will probably feel the stress of that more overall, just in terms of not having enough time to make up for those losses later on, Dr. Moutier says.

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Another possible explanation? The increase in deaths by opioid overdoses.

According to a separate CDC report released in January, overdose deaths by opioidsincluding narcotic pain relievershave increased by 200 percent from 2000 to 2014.

<h1> When You Should Seek Mental Help </h1>

Many times, men dont show the stereotypical symptoms of depression.

Sometimes its not going to be feeling sad or blue first, or maybe even at all during the mental health crisis or the depression, says Dr. Moutier.

Instead, signs that guys may notice include changes in sleep patterns, a loss of energy, less interest in sex, or feeling less of a purpose in life or less of a connection to it.

An increase in substance abuse is also common, too. Lots of guys might find themselves drinking more, she says.

Related : <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19519380/drinking-each-day-may-be-killing-you/" id="f532117b-3ffa-3da0-ad03-e889ae8c1fb8"> Why Drinking a Little Booze Each Day May Be Killing You </a>

If you can check a couple of those symptoms off the listand they dont go away on their own after a few days, or they disappear but keep popping back upyou should make an appointment with your primary care doctor. (You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK if you are in a state of distress.)

Your primary care doctor will likely start by running a bunch of tests, like to check testosterone or thyroid function, to make sure there isnt a physical cause for your symptoms, Dr. Moutier says.

Related : <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19537388/low-testosterone-treatment/" id="20c809fb-4b11-312e-a50b-9ba905862f2b"> The High Price Of Low Testosterone </a>

If it turns out to be depression, your doctor can start you on antidepressants, or refer you to a therapist or psychiatrist. You may also be treated with a combination of medication and counseling.

<h1> What Can You Do If You Think a Loved One Is a Suicide Risk? </h1>

If you notice a loved one displaying some of the symptoms aboveas well as additional behaviors like isolating themselves from friends or family, or giving away prized possessionsthey may be at risk.

Start by opening up a private, caring conversation with the person you are concerned about, says Dr. Moutier.

Tell them youve noticed they dont seem to be themselves lately, and give them concrete examples explaining how.

Ask them whats going on in their lives, Dr. Moutier saysand then be prepared to listen.

Let them talk, she says. The impulse we have is to go in there and try to solve their problems.

If the conversation raises more concerns, your next step is following up: Encourage them to get help, and if you think itll make it easier, even offer to go to the doctors or the counseling with them.

Why Are Suicide Rates Rising For Middle Aged Men?

When looking at the 10 leading causes of death in America, theres been a promising trend: The death rates for the big onesincluding heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabeteshave been declining.

In the study, researchers recruited 294 college students at risk of gaining the Freshman 15, and recommended they weigh themselves at least once a week. Then, they followed them up for two years, and asked them how often they actually weighed themselves during the time.

The findings? Those students who went through at least one period of time during the course of the study where they weighed themselves daily not only prevented gaining weight, but actually lost weight. That group experienced smallbut significantdecreases in their body mass indexes (BMIs) after two years, compared to those who weighed themselves less often.

The daily self-weighers also saw a small drop in their body fatabout 2 percent after six months to the end of the study.

We did not expect that, in the absence of a weight loss intervention, folks would be losing weight, study author Diane Rosenbaum, Ph.D., said in a <a href="http://drexel.edu/now/archive/2017/August/College-Freshman-Self-Weighing/" id="ee3f5eb4-d2dc-3299-a6f8-278f4d8e4ae9"> statement. </a>

Now, the researchers are quick to point out some limitations of the study. For one, they cant prove for sure that it was the act of weighing themselves that actually caused them to lose weight. Plus, the participants were college women, so more research needs to be done to see if similar findings would apply to men and people who are out of school, too.

But there are some possible explanations as to why weighing yourself regularly can help you lose weighteven if youre not on a specific diet and exercise weight loss program. (Here are <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19536817/weight-loss-tips-1/" id="baf0352c-3aee-324a-a063-3242638d71d1"> 10 other easy ways to lose weight without even trying </a> .)

For one, weighing yourself daily could provide tangible evidence of how your eating and exercising is affecting your weight. If you see the number climbing, well, that regular monitoring can help you make the necessary adjustments to keep it in check, the researchers write.

Dont live and die by the number. And of course a scale doesnt decipher between fat and lean body mass, but it can still be of benefit to keep things in check, nutritionist Chris Mohr, Ph.D., R.D., <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19536817/weight-loss-tips-1/" id="59491600-7103-3683-a9c2-6539290f3bb7"> wrote for us </a> in the past.

So use a scale as just one of your tools in your arsenal. Another one you cant miss? A program youll stick with, like the 28-day <a href="https://order.hearstproducts.com/subscribe/hstproducts/245196" id="89fa7902-4e4e-344f-abb7-b734cd323138"> MetaShred Diet </a> from Mens Health.

Weighing Yourself Every Day Can Help You Slim Down

Noticing the pounds creeping on? The best way to keep your weight in check might be in your bathroom: <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28689248" id="213e566c-00b7-3601-acf5-5f20496308b6"> Weighing yourself daily could stave off weight gain </a> and may even help you lose weight, a new study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine suggests.

Weighing Yourself Every Day Can Help You Slim Down, Says Study

But what is it about the brew that blasts your bowels? Many people think caffeine gets things going, but that may not be the case, according to the results of a preliminary study conducted in rats. Critters that drank both caffeinated and decaf coffee had less bacteria in their poop compared to rats that weren't given any coffee, <a href="https://gizmodo.com/why-does-coffee-make-us-poop-scientists-gave-coffee-to-1834852779" id="e16e8012-7aba-32b4-a186-709f2a405467"> reported </a> <a href="https://gizmodo.com/why-does-coffee-make-us-poop-scientists-gave-coffee-to-1834852779" id="df0e5e14-8cd0-3a55-a5cf-075bf80bbd08"> Gizmodo </a> . This indicates that some compound in coffee may kill off gut bacteria to have an impact on bowel movements.

Coffee has this stimulating effect on gut motility, and that is not related to caffeine at all. We could see this even with decaffeinated coffee, so its caffeine-independent, study co-author Xuan-Zheng Shi, an associate professor in internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, explained to Gizmodo. The research has not yet been published but was presented at the Digestive Disease Week research conference, May 18-21.

Of course this study wasn't conducted in people, and much more research needs to be done before we can determine coffee messes with our gut health.

Other studies have shown that caffeine may not be the only reason we run to the bathroom. Scientists already knew that coffee causes gut contractions that activate that gotta-go urge, says Satish Rao, M.D., Ph.D., the director of the digestive health center at Georgia Regents University.

Two decades ago, Dr. Rao and his teams recruited 12 lucky people to wear anal probes with sensors that measured pressure activity throughout different parts of their colons and rectums. Over the course of 10 hours, the subjects drank the same amounts of caffeinated coffee, decaf coffee, and hot water, and ate a 1,000-calorie burger meal.

The food triggered the greatest activity in the participants guts, but the researchers were surprised to discover that caffeinated java prompted contractions of a near-similar magnitude-60 percent stronger than that of hot water, and 23 percent more intense than decaf.

This shows caffeine-a known stimulant-does play a role in jumpstarting your colon, but its not the only player involved. Theres likely something in coffee itself thats responsible for your need to go number 2, says Dr. Rao.

Experts have a theory: Just minutes after you ingest java, it reaches your stomach. One or more of its hundreds of compounds triggers the production of certain hormones in your body, such as motilin-which stimulates gut contractions-or gastrin, which causes the secretion of acid in your stomach. Thats when the pooping kicks in.

But scientists say its also possible that a combination of everything involved in your A.M. routine sends you scurrying to the toilet.

Your colon is about twice as active in the morning thanks to your bodys circadian rhythms, says Dr. Rao. Add in breakfast, wash it down with coffee-both of which independently spark colonic contractions-and you can see why youre clamoring for a crap afterward.

To avoid spending overtime in the office restroom, hold off on making your Starbucks run until about 2 hours after you wake up. This will give your colon enough time to calm down from its morning rev, Dr. Rao says.

And when you drink your first cup, try not to pair it with food or exercise, since theyll both get your gut going, too.

If youre like a lot of guys, your morning cup of Joe leaves you bright-eyed and ready to take on the day-just as soon as youre done <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19540373/pooping-wrong/" id="21e272ce-2275-3a0b-a8d6-e9ec353b4cfc"> pooping </a> .

Why Coffee Makes You Poop

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by Christa Sgobba

Articles written by the author

Why Are Suicide Rates Rising For Middle Aged Men?

Weighing Yourself Every Day Can Help You Slim Down, Says Study

Why Coffee Makes You Poop