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Just like a car, your body is a well-oiled machine that needs its check-ups, tune-ups and daily maintenance.

Dr. Steven A. Kaplan, director of the Iris Cantor Men’s Health Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, addresses common men’s health myths to get you back in gear towards living a better lifestyle for yourself, your family and your loved ones.

• YOU can have control over your libido. Libido is multidimensional and is affected by many things besides age. This includes frame of mind, obesity and other conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

• Protect your skin. Given that men spend a lot of time in the sun, especially "weekend warriors," they are susceptible to skin cancers such as melanoma or basal cell cancer. If you see spots starting to appear on your skin, even subtle ones, see your doctor and determine if a biopsy is necessary.

• Lifestyle can keep chronic illnesses in check. Dr. Kaplan says that many chronic illnesses are preventable by lifestyle modification. “Changing men’s attitudes to health and adaptation of well-being can significantly impact their health and long-term quality of life.”

• No matter what your age – combat cancer with early detection.Prostate cancer occurs in men under 50 as well. However, the cancer can be cured if it is detected early.

• Watch your waist size! Men deny their increasing girth, waist size and obesity. Bad diet, poor exercise and lack of awareness have contributed to the epidemic of obesity in men. Engage in more fun physical activity outdoors, in the gym or with your family.

• Everyone has a heart. Heart disease and heart attacks don’t just happen to your dad or grandfather. Younger men, including well-known athletes, can get significant heart disease and die from it. If you are experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath or have a family history of cardiac disease, see a doctor immediately.

• Take action to manage your aches and pains. Stop blaming age for your general lack of well-being. Today, you have access to better understanding of diet, exercise regimens and disease screening that can make you healthier, more engaged and happier as you age!

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have been responsible for many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer; the synthesis of penicillin; the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S.; the first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease; the first indication of bone marrow’s critical role in tumor growth; and, most recently, the world’s first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester Division, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital. The hospital is also closely affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian/Lawrence Hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area, according to U.S. News & World Report, and consistently named to the magazine’s Honor Roll of best hospitals in the nation. Weill Cornell Medical College is the first U.S. medical college to offer a medical degree overseas and maintains a strong global presence in Austria, Brazil, Haiti, Tanzania, Turkey and Qatar. For more information, visit www.nyp.org and weill.cornell.edu.