 I'M a 45-year-old man. I'm slightly overweight and soft around the middle but have decided to get into the best shape of my life. Can I still achieve a six-pack at my age through exercise and diet, or am I kidding myself? Dave Campbell, Dover A) More than a quarter of men, and nearly a third of women in the UK are now classed as obese, with a further 40 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women being overweight . This is now an endemic problem. As worrying as this sounds, we can actually reverse this, and the idea that we cannot be a healthy weight in our 40s or older is total rubbish. The core problem we face is not actually movement and exercise, so much as our easy access to very high-calorie -dense foods in a way that has never occurred before in human history. The key principle – if you simply eat less than you need each day, you will mobilise your fat stores and lose weight – still holds true, as it has always done. The difference is some people find it easier than others, some people are naturally able to lose weight more quickly, and age also plays a part. But it is all achievable – it might just take a bit more work than when you were 20. Q) MY son is 13 and mildly autistic. He is extremely intelligent and would be described as high- functioning. We have a lovely life with no real stresses but my son always seems so sad. He has recently told me he feels depressed and like he doesn't want to live. I'm watching him like a hawk and have got him a private counsellor but should I consider medication?){kind=link}
DR Jeff Foster is The Sun on Sunday’s resident doctor and is here to help YOU.
Dr Jeff, 43, splits his time between working as a GP in Leamington Spa, Warks, and running his clinic, H3 Health, which is the first of its kind in the UK to look at hormonal issues for both men and women.
See h3health.co.uk and email at drjeff@the-sun.co.uk.
Q) I’M a 45-year-old man.
I’m slightly overweight and soft around the middle but have decided to get into the best shape of my life.