From autism medication to weight issues – Dr Jeff answers your health questions

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.

Dr Jeff Foster is The Sun on Sunday’s new resident doctor and is here to help you

See h3health.co.uk and email at [email protected].

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.

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?

I’m so worried about him.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

A) It is extremely common for teenagers to have fluctuations in emotions plus ­hidden anxieties or worries they do not feel ­comfortable talking to their parents about.      

Although his autism may make his expression of emotions more challenging, this does not mean we should not take his emotions on board.

It is imperative any concerns of suicide are taken seriously, even if he regrets the statement later or says they were made in jest.

The fact he has ­mentioned this at all is something that should not be ignored.

I would suggest he discusses this with his counsellor but also that you book an appointment for him with the family GP.

If he is able to, try to let him talk in the room ­without you.

It might be useful to feel he has the support of his GP and would also allow for him to get a more formal medical assessment.

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