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TV3 GROUP RELEASE
IMMEDIATE: Thursday 16th October, 2014
Another Irish family discovers alarming health results in ‘Doctor in the House’ on TV3.
The second episode follows the Porter family, from Naas, who all realise that they have a good deal of work to do to improve their health. Daughter Gwen calls their house ‘The Takeout House’
Christy finds out that although he does not have lung cancer - his worst fear, he does have emphysema.
The ‘Doctor in the House’ team includes Dr. Nina Byrnes, Dr. Sinead Beirne and Professor Niall Moyna.
‘Doctor in the House’ episode 2 airs Monday 20th October at 9pm on TV3.
Interviews are available on request.
This brand new TV3 series aims to get households across Ireland thinking about their lifestyle and way of life. Doctor in the House, produced by Independent Pictures in conjunction with the BAI, will demonstrate how households can drastically alter their long-term health for the better by introducing a number of changes to their everyday life.
A team of doctors and medical professionals assess a different household each week and identify risks and problem areas that are having a serious, and in some cases, detrimental effect on their health. Following a rigorous assessment, the household will receive “doctors’ orders” which will involve them following an eight-week programme as recommended by the medical team. It’s up to them to stick to the doctors’ orders but the doctors will be ‘on call’ should they need a helping hand along the way.
Doctor in the House focuses on the connections between everyday life - habits and behaviours - and how they directly relate to potential health problems – big and small, but all vital to quality of life. The format trades on the idea of doctors being able to gain a much greater insight into a patient’s lifestyle, eating and exercise habits, in the comfort and intimacy of their own home.
In Episode 2, we’re introduced to the Porter family, from Naas. 68-year-old Christy, his wife Margaret who’s 62, and their daughter, 43-year-old Gwen all realise that they have a good deal of work to do to improve their health. Although he is very slim and used to be active, Christy has been a heavy smoker for a number of years. Margaret is overweight and takes a huge concoction of pills daily.
Gwen, a healthcare assistant in Naas General Hospital, gives an account of her usual mealtimes: “My eating habit is very bad; Chinese snack boxes, McDonalds, Abrakebabra, pizzas. This house is called ‘Takeout House!’”
Dr Sinead Beirne examines one of Gwen’s cupboards in the house: “It’s an absolutely outrageous diet. I’m amazed that she (Gwen) doesn’t have more weight on. The amount of biscuits, snacks. It’s like horror to me to be honest. Those presses are just like diabetes.”
After being health stalked, screened and assessed, Christy finds out that although he doesn’t have lung cancer - his worst fear, he does have emphysema, a condition that will worsen if he continues to smoke. Gwen realises that if she doesn’t change her ways by losing weight and exercising, then she is very likely to develop diabetes and high blood pressure. Margaret is told that her fitness levels are so poor she is almost off the scale.
Professor Niall Moyna reveals Margaret’s shocking results: “Firstly, your body weight currently is 96kg; that’s double the body weight you should actually be. Of the 96kg, 55% or 50kg is fat. If I was to weigh 100 women of your age, 99 of them would have a lower body fat than you have. You’re in the 1% on your own. You would be classified as class 3 or the highest level of obesity.” He adds in relation to her fitness test: “Your result was one of the lowest I’ve ever tested. You have such a low level of physical fitness that it surprises me that you are able to do anything.”
The doctors tell them that they must take urgent measures and give them their ‘Doctors’ Orders’. Over the next eight weeks, the family work hard to improve their lifestyle. At the end of the eight weeks, the family is then re-tested and they get to find how the change in their lifestyle has affected their health.
‘Doctor in the House’airs Monday 20th October at 9pm on TV3.
See ‘Notes to Editor’ for Doctor biogs.
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Notes to Editor
About Dr.Nina Byrnes
Dr. Nina Byrnes graduated third in her class with an Honours Medical Degree from Trinity College Dublin. She undertook postgraduate training in hospital medicine in Ireland, the USA and Australia including time in the prestigious Cleveland Clinic Ohio. Having worked in a large range of medical specialties she realised her interest lay in Primary Care and Preventive Medicine. She obtained her Membership of the Irish College of General Practitioners in 2004 and is on the Specialist Register of the Irish Medical Council.
Nina's work encompasses all areas of general family practice but her special interests are cardiovascular and preventive health, women's health and lifestyle medicine. She is known for her ability to break down medical jargon and her empathetic straight talking approach.
In addition to working full time as a GP, Nina also appeared on our TV screens as co-presenter on the popular series "Health of the Nation" on RTÉ. She has contributed to radio shows on several local and national stations and is a published author with 'Your Health Matters'.
About Dr.Sinead Beirne
Dr. Sinead Beirne graduated in Medicine with an Honours Medical Degree from University College Dublin and completed her internship in St. Vincent’s University Hospital and St. Collumcille’s Hospital, Dublin. She then trained as a GP in Ireland, working in many areas of family medicine including pediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry and general medicine.
Sinead is interested in preventative medicine and sexual health having worked with the Irish Family Planning Association and health screening as well as conducting research for the Irish College of General Practitioners.
She is best known to Irish viewers through her regular appearances as the resident GP and medical expert on TV3’s Ireland AM. She also contributes to national radio programmes and writes a weekly column in The Sunday Business Post and contributes to Irish Parent and Woman’s Way magazines.
About Prof. Niall Moyna
Professor Niall Moyna is a Professor in the School of Health and Human Performance and a member of the Centre for Preventive Medicine in DCU. He received his masters degree from Purdue University, Indiana, USA and Ph.D from the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. He completed a three year National Institute of Health Post Doctoral Research Fellowship in immunology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
He is the leading expert on preventive medicine and an energetic and passionate campaigner of health screening and exercise.
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