In every man's life there is one conversation that never ends: the one between you, your body, and the world around you. After all, your body's number-one job （other than luring female fauna to your plumage） is to provide you with updates about your environment. Am I hot? Cold? Wet? Is she really looking at my plumage?

Amid this barrage of immediate information lies a stream of hints about your health as well. You just have to learn how to spot them-and translate them. Use the list at the left to find out what the mirror might be trying to tell you.

Your Legs

What you see: You have short legs and a longer upper body.

What it might mean: For the athletes among us, these proportions translate into a lower center of gravity and a greater ability to change direction quickly. Think Allen Iverson, John Stockton, and a world full of soccer stars. Still, according to a 15-year British study, this body type also means an increased possibility of heart disease.

"There's a directly proportional risk between leg length and heart disease," says George Davey Smith, M.D., a physician at the University of Bristol in England and one of the study's authors. "We followed 2,512 Welshmen over 15 years and found that for every half inch shorter your legs are in proportion to those of other men with the same length upper bodies, you have a 10 percent higher risk of coronary heart disease."

But there's some good news as well: Many Welshmen report feeling relieved that they can now leave their houses without being followed.

Your Waist

What you see: Your waist is bigger than your hips.

What it might mean: For men, this is the double whammy.

Whammy #1: "We're not sure precisely why, but men who are 'apple-shaped' instead of 'pear-shaped' have a higher incidence of heart disease," says Richard Stein, M.D., a professor of clinical medicine at Cornell University. Which means too many guys are eating the apples without leaving off the pie, strudel, and fritter part.

Whammy #2: A round, Santa-type belly is also a primary indicator of type-2 diabetes. "Abdominal fat causes a man's naturally produced insulin to work less efficiently," says Christopher D. Saudek, M.D., a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University and president of the American Diabetes Association. It also keeps you and the sack of toys from fitting down the chimney.

Your Ears

What you see: You have a deep, vertical crease down the middle of your earlobe.

What it might mean: You're a hobbit. Check your birth certificate. If there are no Middle-Earth references, consider your heart health. Some studies have shown that people who have creases in their earlobes have a high incidence of heart disease. Doctors don't know why, and some don't subscribe to the idea at all, but it's worth looking into.

Your Cornea

What you see: There's a whitish-colored ring along the outer edge of your cornea.

What it might mean: Your blood's a fat river, baby. "That's arcus senilis," says Monica L. Monica, M.D., Ph.D., an ophthalmologist in New Orleans. "For men in their 30s or 40s, it's a sign that you likely have high cholesterol: That white line is cholesterol lodging in the fine tissues of your corneas. As we age, we all get this a little bit--but younger men who see it should have their cholesterol tested."

Your Eyes

What you see: Your eyes are bloodshot.

What it might mean: Yeah, we know the obvious reasons. But it also may mean you're taking too much aspirin for those repeated hangovers. "Aspirin slows clotting and thins your blood, and that ends up flooding the small vessels in your eyes," says Dr. Monica

Your Hands

What you see: There are very small hemorrhages-which look like wood splinters-under your fingernails.

What it might mean: Ask yourself, "Have I been tortured recently?" If the answeris no, you may have endocarditis, an infection in one of the valves in your heart, says Edmund Chitwood, M.D., an emergency-department physician at Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Splinter hemorrhages are blood clots that have been thrown off by the infection and then have lodged in the small blood vessels. Sorry, getting a manicure won't help.

Your Face

What you see: In flat, white light, your skin and eyes have developed a yellowish tint.

What it might mean: You're lucky: You may have picked up on the only obvious symptom of hepatitis, liver disease, or jaundice. "The liver is a noncomplaining organ," says Thelma King Thiel, of Hepatitis Foundation International. "So most people don't know they have a problem until the damage is advanced-then it's nearly too late." Too late for what? To use an organ that does complain: your mouth. See your doctor immediately.

Your Skin

What you see: You have a large or colorful mole. （And we don't mean a flamboyant double agent.）

What it might mean: Melanoma-the most common skin cancer men get. Examine your hide for moles once a month, says Stephen Webster, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Minnesota's school of medicine.

Apply the A-B-C-D rule: Look for asymmetry-anything that's not perfectly round; the border-i.e., an irregularly shaped one; the mole's color-whether its hue changes across the mole; and its diameter-you're looking for anything larger than a pencil eraser. If you find cause for concern under any of these letters, look in the phone book under "D" for dermatologist.

Your Package

What you see: Your scrotum is "fuller" and "heavier" on one side than the other.

What it might mean: A few extra family jewels in the ol' money sack? Nope. More likely, you have a varicocele. "This is nothing more than a varicose vein around your testicle," says Larry Lipschultz, M.D., chief of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Baylor college of medicine in Houston.

Symptoms include loss of testicular size, some testicular discomfort, lowered testosterone levels, and, in many cases, poor sperm production. Which could reduce your chances of being honored on Father's Day. An outpatient surgery can put your swimmers back in the water in no time （and give you an impressive scar to show your friends . . . uh, maybe not）.

Your Noggin

What you see: You have a wide, round head, like a partially deflated soccer ball.

What it might mean: You may have a higher risk of sleep apnea. "People with wide, short heads have shorter airways, which are easier to obstruct," says Mark Hans, D.D.S., chairman of the department of orthodontics at Case Western Reserve University's school of dentistry.

And that puts you-and 10 million other men-at risk of sleep apnea, which can cut your energy, torch your memory, and make you impotent. Your doctor can help you with a diagnosis and refer you to a sleep specialist. Leave your noggin the way it is, though. No one likes a guy with an inflated head.

在每个男性的生活中都有一个永远讲不完的话题：这个话题是关于你、你的身体，还有你周围的世界的。毕竟，除了诱惑女性以外，你身体的首要工作就是给你提供环境变化的信息。我热吗？我冷吗？我感觉湿吗？她真的在看我吗？

身体在提供大量即时信息的过程中同时也存在着许多关于你身体健康的迹象。你必须得学会怎样识别它们，并且理解它们。运用下面的清单来弄清楚这些健康镜子到底想要告诉你什么。

你的腿

现象：你的腿比较短，上身比较长

含义：对于我们中的运动员来说，这种比例意味着低重心，和更强的迅速转换方向的能力，想想看阿伦·艾弗森，约翰·斯托克顿，以及其他许多足球明星。然而，英国一个长达15年的调查研究表明，这种身体比例同样意味着更高的心脏病发病率。

"腿的长度和心脏病之间有一个直接成比例的危险关系，"乔治大卫史密斯说。乔治大卫史密斯是一个医学博士，同时是英国布里斯托大学的一个外科医生，还是这个研究的发起人之一。他说："我们跟踪调查了2512个威尔士人15年多。我们发现和其他人拥有同样长的上身的人，腿的长度每减少半英尺，他得冠心病的几率就会增加10%."

但也有一些好消息，很多威尔士人现在感到如释重负，他们说现在他们可以不受跟踪调查，随意进出房间了。

你的腰

现象：你的腰比你的臀部大

表明：对男性来说，这是祸不单行

倒霉一："我们不明确为什么，但是'苹果形'的男性比'梨形'的男性得心脏病的几率要高，"医学博士理查德·斯泰因说道。理查德·斯泰因是康奈尔大学临床医学的一位教授。"那就意味着太多男性吃苹果馅饼，苹果陷点心，以及其他甜食。"

倒霉二：圆圆的，圣诞老人形状的腹部也是2-型糖尿病的前兆。"腹部的脂肪使男性自身分泌的胰岛素功能减弱，"医学博士克里斯多佛绍德克说，他是约翰霍普金斯大学的医学教授，同时是美国糖尿病协会的会长。同时它也是你穿不下衣服。

你的耳朵

现象：你的耳垂中间有一个很深、垂直的折痕

表明：你是一个霍比特人。查看一下你的出生证。如果没有关于地球中部的注释的话，那就考虑一下你的心脏健康状况吧。一些研究已经表明耳垂上有折痕的人有着很高得心脏病的几率。医生们不知道为什么，有些医生根本不同意这种观点，但这个问题值得进一步研究。

你的角膜

现象：你的角膜的外缘有一个白圈。

表明：你的血脂很高。"那是老年环，"医学博士莫尼卡说。莫尼卡是新奥尔良的一个眼科医生。"对于30-40岁的男性来说，那表明你很有可能胆固醇太高：那个白线是堆积在你眼角膜精细组织的胆固醇。随着我们年龄变大，我们都会多少有点这个环--但如果年轻人有这个的话，就需要查一下自己的胆固醇了。"

你的眼睛

现象：你的眼睛充满血丝

表明：我们都知道明显的原因。但是那也可能表明由于多次醉酒你以服用了太多的阿司匹林。"阿司匹林可使血液凝块变慢，使血液变稀，那会使你眼中的血管充血。"莫尼卡博士说。

你的手

现象：你的手指甲下面有些小出血，看起来就像木材的碎片。

表明：问问你自己："我最近受折磨了吗？"如果没有，那你可能得了心内膜炎，那是一种心脏瓣膜感染，医学博士埃德蒙齐伍德说。他是弗吉尼亚州夏洛特维尔的玛撒杰弗逊医院急诊部的一个外科医师。

碎块式的出血是被心脏瓣膜感染排出来并堆积在小血管里的血块。不好意思的说，修剪指甲并没有用。

你的脸

现象：在平滑，光亮的脸上，你的皮肤和眼睛都呈现一种暗黄色调。

表明：你很幸运：你可能只发现了一个最明显的肝炎症状。"肝是一个很少有不适的器官，"国际肝炎基金会的塞尔玛金泰尔说，"因此大多数人直到肝炎进一步恶化才知道自己的肝有问题，而那时已经太晚了。"为什么太晚呢？那就应用你会抱怨的器官：你的嘴。立即去看医生。

你的皮肤

现象：你有一个很大或是有颜色的痣。（我们并不是说那种鲜艳的双重间谍。）

表明：黑素瘤是男性最常得的皮肤癌。医学博士斯蒂芬韦伯斯特是明尼苏达大学医学院的皮肤学临床教授，他建议男性每个月检查一次自己身上看不见的地方有没有痣。

遵守A-B-C-D法则：查找对称处--所有那些看起来不是很圆的地方；边缘地区，比如不规则形状的地方；痣的颜色--痣周围的颜色是否不一样；痣的直径--查找任何比橡皮擦大的东西。如果你发现了这四条中任何让你担心的地方，那就赶紧联系皮肤科医生。

你的阴部

现象：你的阴囊的一边比另一边鼓或是重。

表明：难道里面有许多额外的家庭珠宝？不是的。你更有可能得了精索静脉曲张。"那只是你睾丸周围的一个静脉曲张血管，"休斯顿贝勒医学院男性的生殖医学与外科主任，医学博士拉里利浦舒尔茨说道。

该病的症状有睾丸缩小，有时会有睾丸不适，睾丸激素减少，很多病例里面还有精子分泌减少等，这可能会让你做不成爸爸。接受门诊手术可能会给你留下一个明显的疤痕，或许不会。

你的头

现象：你的头又宽又圆，就像一个部分充气的足球一样。

表明：你更有睡眠呼吸暂停的危险。"那些头又宽又短的人呼吸道短，这很容易导致呼吸堵塞，"医学博士马克汉斯说，他是凯斯西储大学牙科学院矫牙部的部长。

那会让你以及其他1000万的男性同胞们有睡眠呼吸暂停的危险，进而影响你的精力，损坏你的记忆力，并使你阳痿。你的医生可能会给你确诊，并把你介绍给一个睡眠研究专家。但是，还是让你的头保持原形吧。毕竟没有人喜欢大头男人。