Dave Myers: ‘I was a Northern carbohydrate monster’
The Hairy Biker tells Gabrielle Fagan about his new health regime and coping with glaucoma
Having already been on a bit of a journey with his health – shedding weight and overhauling his lifestyle – for Hairy Biker Dave Myers, finding out he had a sightthreatening eye condition was a shock.
The 61-year-old, who met his TV cooking partner and Hairy Biker other half Si King back in 1995, is one of the 700,000 people in the UK living with glaucoma, the second leading cause of blindness worldwide.
Glaucoma often doesn’t cause any symptoms and develops slowly, so is most often picked up by routine eye checks. It’s usually caused by pressure from the fluid in the front of the eye becoming too high and damaging the optic nerve. While eye pressure can be managed with treatment (usually with drops although some people may need surgery), any damage to the optic nerve is irreversible.
Here, Lancashire-born Myers – who’s gained millions of fans through his and King’s popular BBC cookery series and books – talks about his glaucoma diagnosis, lifestyle and how he keeps well...
How did you find out you had glaucoma?
“When my local optician told me during a check-up in 2012 she thought I might have glaucoma, I said: ‘I don’t think so, I had a night out last night, I’ve probably just got a bad hangover.’ She insisted I go to my GP, and I was referred to hospital where a consultant told me I had the first signs of early-onset glaucoma.
“Si and I had just lost around three stone each in a bid to get fit. I’d gone from being pre-diabetic with high blood pressure, to being off all medication and feeling great, so it was a shock to discover my sight was at risk. I was 54 and thought only old people suffered from this condition. Interestingly, diabetes and high blood pressure can make you more prone to glaucoma.”
How did you feel when you found out?
“It was pretty scary to think that if it hadn’t been picked up, I could have gone blind in around 10-15 years time, which would have been catastrophic. I didn’t have any symptoms, so this condition is rightly known as the ‘silent thief ’ of eyesight, as it progresses gradually and by the time you’re aware of it, you may have intense eye pain, nausea, vomiting and blurred vision. Luckily, I’ve worn glasses since I was eight and have always gone for regular check-ups. Although people go to the dentist, many never think about their eyes, yet that simple check could save you from potential blindness.
“All I have to do is use eye drops every night, and it’s monitored with a hospital check-up annually and a full examination by an optician every other year. The treatment helps keep it at bay, and thankfully it hasn’t progressed since the first diagnosis.”
You’re 61 now – how do you feel about ageing?
“I never think about age but Si teases me because I’m 10 years older than him. He calls me a pensioner and ‘Saga man’. I’ve got creaky knees but apart from that, I don’t feel old. We’re going on a charity motorbike ride across British Colombia, so neither of us are slowing down yet.”
What are the new plans for The Hairy Bikers?
“A new book of our classic recipes given a new twist will be out soon, and we’ll do a new BBC series, probably in America, next year. My partnership with Si is as strong as ever. We’re really close, like brothers. I can’t imagine us not cooking together.”
How do you look after your health and wellbeing?
“I was a Northern carbohydrate monster who was morbidly obese six years ago, and weighed over 18 stone. Si and I were warned we were heading for an early grave, so our weight loss definitely saved our lives.
“I’m 6ft and now around 15 stone, and aim to drop to 14 stone. I cycle, jog, and eat as healthily as possible. I’d never have managed to take part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 if I hadn’t got healthy.”
“I am though a terrible worrier, partly because I lost my parents early which leaves you feeling very vulnerable. My wife, Lili, who I met in Romania in 2005 when we were filming a TV series and married in 2011, is brilliant about it. She encourages me to relax and take holidays which helps.”
● Dave Myers is working with Specsavers and RNIB this National Eye Health Week (today until 30 September) to help raise awareness of the importance of regular eye tests. For more information, visit Specsavers.co.uk