Shouldn't we be setting an example to our patients, colleagues and friends? We all know that we're in the thick of an obesity epidemic. But is the medical profession setting a good example to the public? At a recent American Medical Association (AMA) meeting an informal survey showed that 66% of attendees were overweight or obese -- a rate not dissimilar to that of the general population!

How often have we lectured our patients on the dangers of obesity? It can cause disease, we tell them, in fact it is a disease. Exercise is important and so is a healthy diet. Yet how many of us actually practise what we preach? The benefits of exercise are too huge to ignore. It automatically leads to mental and emotional well being and, perhaps most importantly, helps us deal with stress. And God knows we physicians have plenty of that on a daily basis. So what's stopping us from exercising? Is it inertia, denial, a feeling of indestructibility, or the old "no time" excuse? Meanwhile, with a straight face we'll order our patients to "make time."

Patients no longer passively accept our counsel with no questions asked. When I advise my own patients on the importance of stress management techniques such as regular exercise, yoga, etc, some of them will retort with the "no time" line. With some pride I'm able to tell them that despite my hectic schedule I've managed to make exercise part and parcel of my daily routine. Many have taken my advice to heart and begun exercising.

As physicians we have the capacity to influence people. And we're good at it when it comes to medical matters. But it's time we took the same energy and applied it to matters of fitness. The first step begins with practising what we preach.
-- Dr Arni Sekar, Ottawa

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