Some GPs uncomfortable with addressing obesity, diet changes and exercise with patients

TOP Queensland health experts have rapped GPs for not routinely prescribing exercise as medicine to patients.

• Sedentary Queenslanders landing in hospital

TOP Queensland health experts have rapped GPs for not routinely prescribing exercise as medicine.

And Australian Medical ­Association chief Dr Michael Gannon agrees that some clinicians are uncomfortable with addressing subjects like obesity, diet changes and exercise.

The Chief Medical Officer of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Dr Anita Green – who is a GP and a part-time senior lecturer at The University of Queensland, along with Dr Craig Engstrom, senior ­lecturer in UQ’s School of Human Movement and Nutrition, and Dr Peter Friis, a sports and exercise physician, have written a paper out today in the Medical Journal of Australia.

Walking the dog every day can help prevent a range of diseases.

While there is considerable evidence for the benefits of physical activity for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, musculoskeletal conditions, some cancers, mental health and dementia, many clinicians are failing to get patients up and moving.

The study found that if a doctor is personally not into exercise they are less likely to recommend it to their ­patients.

“It has been consistently shown that physically active clinicians are more likely to provide physical activity counselling to their patients.

“Similarly, medical students who regularly engage in vigorous exercise have a more ­positive attitude to counselling future patients about exercise.” Dr Green and colleagues wrote.

Dr Gannon told The Courier-Mail that it can be a minefield subject to address in the surgery.

“The area of obesity can be an uncomfortable subject to bring up to a patient and there are doctors who find it difficult,” Dr Gannon said.

The UQ study calls for changes in the training of medics in this field.

“The lack of undergraduate and postgraduate training in physical activity and exercise prescription must be addressed in order to increase the knowledge, confidence and skills of physicians in prescribing ­exercise as medicine to their patients,” the authors said.