I'm not the betting kind. But I'd say odds are pretty good you aren't aware of these sobering statistics. So put down your Blackberry, open up your eyes and pay attention!

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wants men (yes, you) -- and women -- to know the following facts about men's health care:

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in men.
• Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men.
• In 2001, nearly 66 percent of on-the-job injuries involved men.
• Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women.
• Males account for 80 percent of drownings in the United States and are 1.5 times more likely than females to have traumatic brain injuries.

So as you can see, there is a lot to be done and there's no time like the present. Timed each year to appropriately end on Father's Day -- this year, June 11 to 17 has been designated as Men's Health Week.

Around the country, organizations will be hosting events to call attention to men's health and encourage regular physical exams and checkups. Public health experts are alarmed at the disparities between male and female health care practices and life expectancies. According to 2004 statistics compiled by the CDC, men are far less likely than women to go to the doctor for any reason. This reluctance to seek medical care for illness or prevention often means women outlive their male partners by several years making men's health a family issue.

Perhaps the most important lesson we can learn this week is that men need to get regular physical exams and checkups and that it's okay for women to remind them to do so. By taking preventive action at the recommended time, men can stay ahead of the curve and become more knowledgeable about health concerns, creating a greater opportunity to identify a potentially serious condition before it becomes life threatening -- that's something I'm willing to bet on.

For more information about men's health week activities, go to the Men's Health Network Web site at: menshealthweek.org.