Healthy doctors equal healthy patients

An alcoholic is someone who drinks more than their doctor does - or so the saying goes. It could also be that a healthy person has a healthy doctor, according to a study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual congress. According to the authors of this study, medical school may be the place to teach future doctors about the benefits of physical exercise and encourage this as a 'prescription'.

The study, carried out by John Duperly and Felipe Lobelo, found that when Colombian medical students knew about the health benefits of physical activity and were physically active themselves, they were more likely to encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

This research is aligned to the American College of Sports Medicine's programme 'Exercise is medicine', which calls for healthcare professionals to use exercise as part of any prescription for improved lifestyles.

In addition, a quarter of patients said they turn first to their doctor for advice on this subject, making the exercise counselling aspect of a medical practice that much more important. Exercise has been proven to treat and prevent numerous chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and more. According to some authorities, if the benefits of exercise could be captured in pill form, this would be the most widely prescribed drug in the world.