Si Gowing

We are an over-medicated country. The number of prescriptions we give out has increased by 80% over the past 20 years. That would be amazing news if all of these extra prescriptions were working and helping people improve the quality of their lives. But, in many cases, they are not. 80-90% of what we see as doctors is in some way related to our collective modern lifestyles. That is NOT putting blame on people. I understand that modern life is tough and many people find it hard to do the things that they would ideally do to promote good health and wellbeing. However, that does not mean that more pills is the answer. We will not medicate our way out of the current healthcare crisis. There is another way and tonight on @Channel4 at 8pm, I showcase part of the solution to the British public. I look at 3 chronic conditions that are costing the NHS a fortune: type 2 diabetes, depression & chronic pain, and show examples of people who have completely healed and reversed their conditions WITHOUT the use of medication and by making changes to their lifestyle. The term ‘lifestyle’ is possibly not ideal here. Many people take that to only mean eating healthily and exercising. And whilst food choices and movement are part of the picture, they are not the entirety of it. When I say 'lifestyle', yes I mean things like food and movement, but also things like sleep, stress, fasting, breathing techniques to regulate one’s nervous system, mindset shifts & finding purpose in your daily life. This topic seems to trigger a lot of people, so let me try and make a few things clear. When I say we are overmedicated, it does NOT mean that drugs have no use. Clearly they do. Modern medicine is fantastic at certain things. But it is not good at everything. In my view, where possible, we should not be using mediation as first line treatment for problems that are driven by the way we are living our lives. Of course, informed consent & patient choice is essential here. Secondly, this does not mean that poverty and socio-economic status do not play a role in health. Some people are absolutely going to find making changes more difficult because of their life situation. I am fully aware of the research showing the relationship between health outcomes and socio-economic status. However, we should NEVER assume that people cannot make changes because of their life circumstances. For 7 years, I worked in a practice in Oldham where the vast majority of patients were of low socio-economic status. They had difficult lives and were not earning much money. Despite that, I was still able to help many patients there reverse their type 2 diabetes and eliminate their depression and anxiety without using medication. It is absolutely possible and the narrative that only people living middle class lives can benefit from this approach is condescending and wrong. Never assume what changes a person is willing to make when they are treated like an equal human and given the right advice for them in a compassionate and respectful way. Will everyone be able to make those changes? Of course not. But a lot of people will. Yes, we should be advocating for social change that can improve the lives for all. And, at the same time, we can also teach people the simple, free things they can do which will help them with their health. These things are not mutually exclusive and can co-exist together. My new TV documentary is called ‘Live Well With The Drug Free Doctor’ and airs tonight on @Channel4 at 8pm. If you can’t watch live, you can go to Channel 4 On Demand and watch on catch up. What do you think? Are you planning on watching the show tonight? Let me know your thoughts below!