They’re not alone.

A study in the December 2006 Harvard Business Review addressed the plight of the "extreme worker," defined in part as working 60 hours or more a week with characteristics such as an unpredictable work flow, fast-paced work under a tight deadline, responsibility for profit and loss, a large number of subordinates and a lot of travel.

More than two-thirds of those workers get insufficient sleep and half come up short on exercise. Additionally, two-thirds of male extreme workers say their job negatively impacts the relationship with their children.

Nutritionist Bernard Rosen draws a grim flow chart that begins with long work hours, leading to stress plus poor dietary habits and tumbling rapidly into heart disease, weight gain, compromised immune systems and even erectile dysfunction.

He launched Rosen Wellness in Cedarburg following years in corporate marketing and strategic planning, hoping to help men avoid many of these ailments before they grab hold.

Men, of course, don’t have time for that. Aman met with one man who refused to remove his Bluetooth receiver in the exam room. The typical man’s attitude, he says, is: "I’m here to get a prescription to take and fight these things to get better and go out." Rosen adds: "Many men, they’ve got to wait until they have the heart attack."

But not all of them do, and those who have endeavored to break the cycle tell encouraging stories.

On the run

Enjoying his children was just one reason town of Merton resident David Mei dedicated himself to making changes. An anesthesiologist, Mei says years of smoking and poor dietary habits — fueled by the often-insane demands of his residency — had made him so physically feeble that he couldn’t find the energy to play with his three (now four) children.

"It was very disheartening, very difficult psychologically because I knew what it was a result of," he says.

Other incidents — pulling on his XL scrubs and finding them snug, his father’s bypass surgery two years ago — spurred him along. After the bypass, he committed to stop smoking and dramatically increased the jogging he’d begun four years prior.

During the last two years, Mei has lost 60 pounds, and earlier this spring was training for his first marathon, in Green Bay in May. He still works about 70 hours per week, and is tied to a pager, cell phone and his e-mail. But with support from his family, he’s made the running a priority.

"I guess I’ve just taken more time to make time for myself, which has been important to me," Mei says. "It’s been good for me not only from a health standpoint, but a psychological and family standpoint as well.

"I think it’s good for my kids to see me doing things like that," he says.

Deep breathing

Todd Dybul of Mequon has walked a different path toward balancing health with achievement. He, too, once worked long hours and felt the impact.

"I really suffered, I think, physically," he says. "I got sick a lot. And you bring work home with you a lot."

A new job allowed him to "cut back" to about 45-50 hours per week, but four years ago he threw out his back so severely that he couldn’t walk more than a few yards without pain. As one who had studied some martial arts and other Eastern philosophies, he tried yoga. For him, it worked so well that he became an instructor. He teaches classes at Mequon Elite, Yoga One in Cedarburg and Form and Fitness in Grafton, and has launched his own private venture, Yogawerx.

Yoga’s deliberate pace and emphasis on breathing and relaxation do not attract a lot of men, Dybul admits. Yet even 15 or 20 minutes is enough, says Aman.

"I need 15-30 minutes from you to do some kind of exercise," he tells patients. "Even simple yoga. That will help you slow down."

Driven men can rest assured that slowing down doesn’t equate to shutting down. Dybul, Mei, Rosen and Aman — who has three cell phones, a pager and a laptop — all remain busy and career-oriented. They simply recognize the positive impact some simple changes can have on their health and relationships.

"With my hectic schedule, if I can do it, I feel everybody can do it," Mei says. "You just have to make time. I think we all have time in our life we can dedicate to ourselves, and to ourselves being healthier."