IT’S WELL known, of course, that many men are reluctant to visit their GP to get their ailments checked out.

But the price for that reluctance can often be the early medical intervention needed to bring about swift and effective treatment.

That situation is particularly true for Type 2 diabetes – one of the district’s, and nation’s, fastest-growing health problems.

To that end the Bradford Beating Diabetes Campaign is now specifically targeting males to drive home the message to get checked out early to prevent serious complications developing.

The sheer scale of the rise of the cases of diabetes in the UK in itself is alarming; it has more than doubled in the last decade.

And the cost to the NHS is also startling with more than £1 billion a year being spent on prescriptions for drugs to manage the condition – more than any other single sector.

While it has to be acknowledged that not all cases are caused by a lifestyle comprising of a poor diet and little exercise, a sizeable proportion are and the campaign in Bradford is also trying to hammer home the message that people must take more responsibility for their health.

Ignoring the early signs of diabetes can have drastic consequences with sight loss, organ failures or limb amputations relatively common – all of which require life-long medical treatment and support thereafter.

And, of course, in the worse cases the condition will kill you.

So come on you men, put that pride or sheer stubbornness aside and get checked out.