ACTOR Ricky Tomlinson knows that the closest he'll come to playing Superman is in the garden with his grandson.
But the Royle Family star is happy with that.
After being diagnosed with heart disease a year ago, Ricky is lucky to be running around at all.
He is now fronting a new campaign, Ten Years Longer, which aims to encourage men to check their hearts.
The formerly 19-stone actor, who had a quadruple heart bypass operation last October, says he'll never take his heart for granted again.
"Last year I was a bit sluggish and tired but I had no idea there was anything wrong with me," he says.
"Then one thing led to another. I was told I had heart disease and needed open heart surgery."
These are not words any man wants to hear. Yet, according to a new survey published by high street pharmacy chain Lloydspharmacy, which is responsible for the Ten Years Longer campaign, coronary heart disease (CHD) is robbing British men of 16 million years of their lives.
Despite the fact that CHD is the leading cause of death among middle-aged and older men, many blokes still aren't keen to get their health checked.
"Many guys my age don't like complaining," says Ricky. "They don't think it's manly to complain. But that's silly. They owe it not only to themselves, but to their family, their children and grandchildren.
"Forget this macho crap; go and have a test. My alter ego Jim Royle and me were both heading for a heart attack but luckily we nipped it in the bud."
And, as Ricky points out, it's easy to get your heart checked. Pharmacies like Lloyds offer on-site cholesterol and heart checks so you don't even need to make an appointment with your GP.
"Prevention is better than cure," Ricky says. "The Lloyds test, called the The Heart Healthcheck, takes 10 minutes. It's quicker than going into a cafe for a cup of tea. And there's no pain.
"They take your blood pressure and cholesterol readings, then you get a printout of the results and a booklet about what to eat and what exercise to do. Those 10 minutes could give you an extra 10 years of life."
When 122 Lloydspharmacy outlets trialled their Healthcheck across the country last year, approximately 40% of men tested were referred to their GP.
Women are also at risk from heart disease,but experts admit that it is men who are most vulnerable. However, risk factors such as smoking, high-fat diets and low levels of exercise are not always easy to give up.
"At the end of the day, what's more important?," asks Ricky frankly. "Eating too much or snuffing it 10 years too soon. I know what I'd choose."
A year after his operation, Ricky is feeling fitter than ever. But he knows he was lucky and admits his recovery wasn't easy.
"When I first went into hospital, they originally intended to insert hollow tubes into my arteries which were blocked. But halfway through the operation they realised the problem was too severe and that I'd need to come back for open heart surgery. That was a shock. Afterwards you have to learn normal things again.
"Even how you lift your arms, because that can cause strain on your heart. I would rather people didn't have to go through that."
Since his operation Ricky says he's changed his habits.
"I'm only 5ft9 but I used to weigh 19 stone, which was ridiculous. I looked like the Pirelli man. Now I've lost three stone."
Ricky's wife Rita put him on a diet.
Gone were the three cooked meals per day and in came low-fat food and smaller portions.
"I was a big eater. I've have ridiculous amounts of food on my plate. My brothers are dead smart and were always having ago at me, saying I was scruffy, overweight and stuff like that but I didn't care. I thought I was happy.
"I'd have a huge cooked breakfast with loads of toast with jam and butter. Then a big lunch and tea. That's all gone.
"I'll have cereal for breakfast, a light lunch and a cooked dinner. And if I do have proper breakfast once in a while, I'll have quorn sausage. Rita's very disciplined!
"I weigh 16 stone now and I'll probably lose a little bit more. When I try one of my old suits on, it's like putting a marquee on."
And it's not just his clothes that feel better.
"I'm a much happier person," the actor says.
"Changing your habits makes so much difference. Weight can creep up on you and you don't realise what it's doing to your life. Since the operation, I can't emphasise how well I feel. I'm back up to speed now.
"I'm 60 gigs through a 70-night national tour. I'm back doing DIY, making a documentary, constructing a fishing lodge and this morning I was Batman and my grandson was Robin."
FACTFILE
- Heart disease is the UK's biggest killer and the most common cause of premature death, before the age of 75, in the UK.
- One in five men and one in six women die from heart disease which causes 101,000 deaths in the UK each year; 275 every day.
- Around 2.6 million people are living with heart disease in the UK.
- Lifestyle factors that can increase include smoking,
- eating a diet high in fats and salt and being overweight or obese.
- If you don't lead an active life your risks are higher.
- And two in three people in the UK have raised cholesterol levels, another risk factor.
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