– Laura Ingalls Wilder

Somewhere between this column and the columns of your heart, your dad is speaking. We are wishing every dad a wonderful Father’s Day!

Their special day is Sunday. Children sharing a deep bond with father feel intensely for him and give dad credit for helping shape them into the man or woman they will become.

Dads protect children from what they cannot see. A dad has the responsibility of providing for his family. Sometimes the difficulties of that task go unrecognized and without gratitude. A dad is needed to make a family whole.

It is time to talk about men. A view that needs to be considered: Why men die first.

I wonder.

Many are decorated heroes, others are private heroes who do their duty every day to support, protect the family and to enrich the lives of people they love. Most men work hard with little thought of their own health. Men’s lifestyles are not always conducive to a long and healthy life.

We have done a spectacular job learning about the unique biology of women in the past 20 years; it is now time to turn a gender specific lens on men. Let’s learn how best to improve and prolong their lives. We need to think about and ultimately understand why men die first. It is time to acknowledge and correct that grim statistic. It is time to spend some concentrated thought on what in men’s biology makes them unique and how society conditions and trains them. It is time to protect men from premature death and debilitating illness.

I question why men succumb earlier than women. It is time to ask what can be done to reverse the trend. Most men want it all: rippling abs, impressive muscles, athletic skills, more energy, enhanced brain power, all-round good health.

Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, RD, FCN, CNS, FISSN, with Jeff O’Connell prepared the “Powerful Nutrition Book.” This guidebook is aimed at men because they need healthy, practical eating advice regarding health promotion, disease prevention and body weight management.

We are told, “You are what you eat.” The world of nutrition is complex. The most celebrated experts in this field are learning new ways to benefit mankind every day and will continue to do so. Nutrition is the way the body makes use of foods, to meet its needs for growth, repair and maintenance.

And since it is the end of the school year and graduation time, I warmly wish for all students in the Class of 2016 happiness, success and a promising future. Graduation is a time to recognize and honor the wonderful achievements in the lives of the graduates. It is a day of celebration.

For the graduate, this is a reward for studying and persevering through all the challenges of an undergraduate education. For family and friends who played a part in their education, it is your day as well. Congratulations!

— Zaffie Hadiaris of Saco is the host of “Zaffie,” a weekly television talk show on Channel 3 Biddeford public access. It can also be seen at biddefordmaine.org. Contact Hadiaris at zhadiaris@hotmail.com.