Sex Not Drugs: GPs Told To Prescribe Sex And Gardening To Overweight Patients

A trip to your doctor might end up being a boon in the bedroom, as GPs have been told to suggest ramping up the sex life for patients who need more exercise.

It's just one of a series of suggestions - including gardening and dancing - aimed at getting people active in ways they might actually like to stick to. And doctors could even be ringing you up to check you've stuck to their advice.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, which issued the suggestions, described exercise as a 'miracle cure' for many conditions, and a way to reduce the conditions such as cancer, diabetes and even hip fractures, to get really specific.

The idea comes after a government-commissioned report found that lack of activity directly contributes to one in six deaths in the UK and 56 per cent of us don't get the recommended amount of activity a week.

(It's 30 minutes five times a week.)

Lead author of the study Scarlett McNally, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Eastbourne District General Hospital in Sussex explained that exercise could be as, or more, effective than drugs for some illnesses including depression.

“It could be as simple as taking the stairs rather than a lift, kicking a ball about with your children or grandchildren.

“We’ve got to change what we think of as normal, because what we are seeing in our hospitals and surgeries up and down the country is that normal has become not enough exercise.

“Too many of my patients are paying the price for that with broken bones and years of ill-health that could have been avoided by being more active.”

Of course not everyone’s getting on board with the idea that GPs should try and give sensible lifestyle advice ahead of bunging drugs down our throat.

Patient Concern’s Joyce Robers said: “It’s none of GPs’ business to be talking about patients’ sex lives. I would take amiss at that and I’m sure many others would too.

“This is particularly true as nowadays most patients don’t even know their family doctor.”

Would you mind your doctor disucssing ways to get active - including having more sex - with you? Or is it a step too far...?

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