key: cord-355869-r68fccx0
authors: Ogle, H.L.; Sharma, R.K.
title: Who must take responsibility for the health of the profession? Us
date: 2020-07-19
journal: Public Health
DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2020.06.018
sha: 
doc_id: 355869
cord_uid: r68fccx0

nan

Letter to the Editor Who must take responsibility for the health of the profession? Us This letter is not a commentary on the specifics of pandemic responses by nations or healthcare services. This is a wholly inward reflection as to one vital way in which we, as healthcare workers, can and must take control of the controllable. It may be an unfortunate benefit if instigated now due to the pandemic-induced anxieties, but benefit, nonetheless.

When their profession is health, it should be surprising that many doctors do not adequately manage their own. However, to most doctors, this is an accepted sacrifice superseded by the long hours and stressful nature of the work. With few spare hours, exercise cannot be made a priority, and almost one in four doctors engage in absolutely no physical activity. 1 In turn, it cannot then be a shock to see that 28.8% of healthcare professionals are obese. 2 Across the profession, the benefits of an active lifestyle and healthy diets are pushed unapologetically. But why does it seem so fundamentally unachievable in ourselves? Is it as suggested, a tacit inability, or is it in fact a more blatant hypocrisy?

In recent times, health has dominated all aspects of our lives. The global population has become acutely aware of the existence of comorbidities and the negative consequences of poor health. From the very start, it has been apparent that those worst affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) suffer from underlying health conditions. Recent figures state that 94% of total deaths from the virus have occurred in patients with at least one comorbidity. 3 Given the innate vulnerabilities of working in health care at such a time, the additional susceptibility owing to ill-health is just one factor completely within our control. Healthier lifestyles are needed across the entire profession, and this is a learning opportunity that we cannot afford to ignore. The pandemic has provided abundant proof that this is a matter of life or death.

Promoting a healthy lifestyle within the profession must be integral as we forge the route into the 'new normal' of healthcare provision. This is before mentioning the innumerable benefits for all other parties, including employees, from longevity in the workforce through to improved patient adherence. We concede that there is a certain degree of optimism that change will be so easy to come by, but there is already evidence that small and cumulative changes make vast differences. 4 Action, quite simply, must be taken. The onus, for this at least, is on us.

Do as we say, not as we do?" the lifestyle behaviours of hospital doctors working in Ireland: a national cross-sectional study

Obesity prevalence by occupation in Washington state, behavioral risk factor surveillance system

COVID-19: underlying metabolic health in the spotlight

The effectiveness of worksite nutrition and physical activity interventions for controlling employee overweight and obesity