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What Shape Are Our Doctors In? | Clearwater Florida Personal Injury Lawyer

The Wall Street Journal published an interesting report  on how well physicians take care of themselves.

For the most part findings were positive.

As a group, physicians are generally leaner, in better shape and live longer than the average man or woman. The Physicians' Health Study has tracked the health practices of close to 25,000 male doctors since 1982. As of 2007, here are some facts:

• 35% of the doctors in the PHS were at a healthy weight
• 40% were overweight, 23% were obese
• 2 - 4% of doctors smoked cigarettes compared to the national average of 24%, in the US.

The study does raise some concerns. Research indicates:

• 30% - 50% of physicians don't have a regular primary-care physician of their own
• 52% of over 300 resident doctors polled admitted to self-prescribing medications, many of them from sample cabinets or pharmaceutical representatives (1998 survey)
 
Dr. Edward Creagan, professor of medical oncology at the Mayo Clinic talks about the issue. "There are a high proportion of doctors who sort of wing it-they might be having chest pain, so they ask a colleague about it over lunch." He attributes this behavior to doctors' sense of omnipotence, or a hectic schedule.

Which factors determine a physician's long term success? Dr. Creagan points out a growing awareness "if one is not psychologically, spiritually and physically fit, one will not go the distance in this profession."

Dr. Wilson Pace, professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado concurs. "If you're going to try to make an impact on patient's lifestyles... look at your own lifestyle, what you can and can't do, to try to make the changes you're recommending to your patients."