Health resolutions doctors want you to make this year
USUALLY, as part of our New Year’s resolutions, we’ll get a check-up at the start of the year just to see that everything is OK. But for doctors, while that is a step in the right direction, there are other health resolutions or goals that they would like you to make.
Dr Geoffrey Walcott, psychiatrist:
Focus on developing a healthier lifestyle and caring for your mental health. Resolutions are pointless and people see them as a way of alleviating their guilt.
Dr Danielle Nelson, psychiatrist:
My New Year’s health resolution is for us to take care of our physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and relational health. We have to care for all aspects of ourselves to be able to serve our families and the wider society.
Dr Daryl Daley, obstetrician-gynaecologist:
Understand that HPV is real and more than 90 per cent of women in Jamaica with cervical cancer have never done a Pap smear. Have you done yours?
Dr Anna-Kay Taylor Christmas, obstetrician-gynaecologist:
Go for yearly check-ups, eat well, exercise, rest and make sure not to ignore or downplay abnormal symptoms. Get checked regularly and get checked early if there’s a problem.
Dr Gareth Reid, urologist:
For many health conditions, diet plays a significant role. For example, with prostate cancer, diets rich in fats, processed food and red meat have been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer. My goal for patients would be to start living healthier lifestyles, increasing the fruits and vegetables in the diet, and increasing the amount of exercise per week.
Dr Jomo James, internist:
Do not wait until it’s too late when the situation becomes more grave before seeking help.
Dr Michelle Bailey, obstetrician-gynaecologist:
Get regular check-ups, eat properly — fruits vegetables and high-quality proteins — take your medications as prescribed to reduce complications from diseases, exercise, and develop your brain by learning something new each month.
–Kimberley Hibbert
