From a women with porn addiction to a bad knee causing weight problems – Dr Jeff answers your health questions
DR JEFF FOSTER is The Sun on Sunday’s new 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.
Q) I’M a 45-year-old man and currently out of work with a knee injury and back problems from when I used to play a lot of rugby.
I haven’t exercised at all for a year, as the pain is too bad.
Not doing sport, work or exercise has made me feel miserable, so I’ve been overeating and now need to lose weight to ease the strain on my joint.
But as I struggle to work out, is daily walking enough for me to lose weight?
Jim Preston, Wigan
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A) Exercise releases natural endorphins, increases testosterone production, reduces cardiovascular and cancer risk, and is probably the most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of illness and disease.
But for weight loss, it plays a smaller role than you might think.
The only way to lose weight is to achieve a calorie deficit. This means you must consume less energy than you expend, and while exercise helps with this, it is only a small part of the overall picture.
To burn up a 230-calorie chocolate bar, you would need to run for 22 minutes or walk for 42 minutes.
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Bear in mind the average daily intake for a man is 2,500 calories, and you can see how little exercise contributes to pure weight loss.
Walking is good for your mobility and mental health. It gets your muscles moving and helps reduce cardiovascular risk, but for weight loss, by far the most important thing you can do is eat less.
Q) I’M a 30-year-old woman and I’m addicted to watching porn and masturbating.
I’m married, and my husband doesn’t even know about my addiction as I do it while he is at work.
We have a great sex life but I still have to see to myself at least three times a day.
I love it at the time and get such a kick out of it but feel ashamed after. What can I do to get this under control?
Nicole, East Sussex
A) All forms of sexual activity release various “happy” hormones which make us feel good.
As a result, those with an addictive personality may find that the positive hormonal feelings they get from sex or masturbation can make it addictive.
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The best way to tackle this is to focus on the psychological processes involved.
If you have noticed any other symptoms or behaviour changes, see a doctor to look for changes in hormone levels or brain function, but if it is just your sexual activity that has changed, a specialist psychosexual counsellor/psychologist will be able to help you make sexual activity something that is enjoyable without it controlling your life.