Should I Get A Yearly Physical?

As many of you who read 60 in 3 know, I am not the biggest fan of the modern medical system.  I think we have a tendency to overmedicate when we should be solving the problem in more natural ways.  Got a cholesterol problem?  Take some medication (but you really should be eating healthier).  Got a weight problem?  Take some medication (but you really should be exercising more).  It seems like medication is the answer to problems that are better addressed through healthier living.  So with this said, I think I surprised one of my friends when I told him I was going to schedule my yearly physical soon.  He assumed that I avoid doctors altogether.

First Things First

I don’t avoid doctors.  If I have an issue that needs medical attention, I have it taken care of by a doctor.  If I broke my leg, I certainly wouldn’t expect it to heal through healthier living and I would definitely go to a doctor.  Actually, I would immediately go to the ER but that’s pretty much the same as seeing a doctor soo…

Second Things Second

I don’t avoid all medication.  A few months ago I happened to hike right into a patch of poison oak, a plant that leaves amazingly itchy welts.  After a miserable night of little to no sleep thanks to constant itching, I went to the doctor and got some Prednizone (I think that’s how it’s spelled) which made things a lot better.

So What Do I Do?

I trust doctors to have my best interest in mind.  However, I am also aware of the fact that they are under a lot of pressure (usually by their patients) to solve everything through medication.  Patients don’t want to hear “you’re overweight because you eat too much and exercise too little, you need to eat less and exercise more for the rest of your life.”  They want to hear “you have a medical condition and here’s a little pill you can take twice a day to make it better.”

Ironically, many doctors are quite relieved to hear “so doc, what can I do to make this condition better?”  They know that overmedicating is a problem but they can’t do much about it.  The patients demand it and the pharmaceutical industry is only too happy to oblige.  I’m lucky enough to have a doctor who’s honest and not afraid to tell me some things are better solved through lifestyle changes and not medicine.

When I first started losing weight is also when I started going to yearly physicals.  I told my doctor I wanted to change my life and she told me how.  She suggested what to eat, what not to eat and how to exercise.  She even gave me a few tips on jogging thanks to her own experience running marathons.  I’ve stayed with that doctor and I’ve also kept the habit of yearly physicals.

But Why The Physical If I’m Healthy Now?

Remember, leading a healthy life doesn’t make me immune to disease.  It makes diseases like cancer less likely, but not impossible.  So yes, my physicals usually consist of my doctor telling me I’m fine and then she and I chat about long distance running but that’s still not a waste of time.  They’re a way for me to know that everything really is fine and that, if something is wrong, we catch it early enough to make a difference.

Also, the yearly physical is a way for me to get a professional opinion about my health from someone who knows far more than me.  Should I lose more weight?  Am I stressing my joints too much by running?  (My doctor is the one who told me I shouldn’t run five days a week and I thank her for that great advice)  Am I eating enough or too much?  What do I need to do in order to eat healthy while being a vegetarian?  All of these are things your doctor can help you with.

So yes, the answer to this post’s question is “absolutely!”  Everyone should get a yearly physical regardless of what shape they’re in.  Actually, I think there is some age below which it’s ok for a man to get a physical every two years.  I’m not sure about that though, so maybe you should ask your doctor while getting that physical

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Muscles don’t deflect bullets, and they don’t make you immune to cancer either.

EDIT – Unless you’re my friend Greg, who pointed out to me after reading this post that he can indeed deflect bullets with his muscles!