Lifestyle advice from your GP can be helpful, but only if it's offered

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-05-06 14:00

Australia; QLD

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People may be more likely to make healthy changes to their lifestyle if advised by their GP, but most Australians say they've never received such advice, according to a survey of just over 13,000 people. The survey asked participants about their alcohol consumption, smoking habits, weight, physical activity and diet, whether their doctor had given them any advice on any of those points, and whether they'd made any improvements over the past year. The researchers say, across all the lifestyle factors in the survey, participants were more likely to have made a positive change if they recalled receiving advice from their GP about it. However, they say only a small number of participants whose lifestyle did not meet recommended standards recalled receiving such advice, with just 27% of smokers advised to quit, 8% of heavy drinkers advised to reduce their drinking, and 9% of people who didn't eat enough fruit and vegetables advised to add more to their diet.