Being part of the medical fraternity involved in the observation and failure to stem the obesity ‘epidemic’, I could quite justifiably use the term ‘pandemic’ as its destruction of human life – although covert – is as great if not much greater than COVID-19.

I detest reality TV. I don’t just mean American reality TV; I mean any reality TV. I have watched a little of this kind of TV and can’t help but apply to the spectacle my general practice and functional medicine experience, specifically to the ‘biggest loser’ type of trash.

The structure of my day, as with many people, changed dramatically in lockdown. What I did notice was my increasing agitation – neither excitement nor despair – that occurred from midday on, nearly every day.

When one has spent 45 years as a GP, one is bound to come across a story or two that one could (and I think should) divulge, due to the passage of time and the anonymity of those involved!

It sounds a bit odd to say this when so many people have become victims of this dreadful and preventable pandemic…and I acknowledge that there has been a horrendous fallout from this virus. However, what the pandemic has demonstrated is that when a government leads, things can change.

In case you had not noticed, there is a fair bit of interest in omega-3s and single nucleotide polymorphisms and as a General Practitioner, this should greatly excite you.

Fortunes are not made in general practice; fortunes are told. Fortunes are found in the reading of the tea leaves left in the teacups of lab tests, x-rays, and experience.

For some reason, the human (along with the guinea pig), has lost the ability to synthesise vitamin C. Many other animals retain this ability.