Doctors are too ti mid to say: you’ re overweight

DEATHS from Covid-19 have now exceeded one million globally, but I recently saw that there were 1.76 million deaths from lung cancer, caused mainly by tobacco, in 2018 (the most recent year we have figures for).

Thanks to the vaccine breakthrough, it seems that being able to stamp out Covid-19 deaths is within reach. But imagine how many more lives could be saved from a more controllable threat if people could be persuaded to give up smoking.

It’s not just linked to lung cancer but also to coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, emphysema, and many other forms of cancer, such as mouth, oesophageal, colon and bladder.

How much better would it be if we could simply say to patients: ‘If you smoke you should be in fear of losing your life?’ Instead, we all tend to pull our punches.

The other puzzle is the harsh fact of obesity. Covid-19 arrived shortly after we GPs were urged not to use the term, and to refrain from letting our patients feel any sense of criticism. Obesity i s now reframed as a disease, just as smoking is an addiction, suggesting t hat t here i s no personal responsibility for it.

Of course, obesity is a complex issue, and overeating is rarely due to a simple lack of will. However, our duty as doctors is not to pour salve over those who are selfdamaging, but to educate them.

Our health and survival is our own responsibility — despite the Government’s current interference in our liberty, it is not elected to act as parent.

I f you t hink t hat sounds unsupportive or harsh, it is far from it — I am only critical of those who choose to do nothing about their risk factors. We must be understanding towards those who seek help in tackling them.