Dr. Fleming admitted, it can be time consuming to persuade patients to be more active. The time factor, combined with the residual frustration because advice is frequently ignored, might be enough to discourage some physicians from broaching the issue.
“The argument that primary care physicians can't take up this issue because they already have too much to do in an appointment is spurious. If we are to take primary prevention seriously, then we have to believe that a large part of treating our patients is talking about lifestyle changes. This is just as much a part of our job as checking cholesterol and writing prescriptions for controlling diabetes,” he said.
'Physicians have played a big role' in enabling patients to use medical problems as an excuse. DR. RICHARDSON