New series ?Doctor in the House? premieres this Monday on TV3.

TV3 GROUP RELEASE

IMMEDIATE: Thursday 9th October, 2014

 

 

New series ‘Doctor in the House’ premieres this Monday on TV3.

 

In this new revealing series, a team of doctors and medical professionals will visit a number of households, to assess their lifestyle and implement new healthy ways and life habits that can drastically alter their health for the better.

 

The first episode follows the Mahony family, whose lifestyles have descended into one of takeaways, daily alcohol and virtually no exercise.

 

Dolores and David are told that their 12-year-old, obese son Oisín has the fitness level of an 80-year-old man and is a “walking time bomb.”

 

The ‘Doctor in the House’ team includes Dr. Nina Byrnes, Dr. Sinead Beirne and Professor Niall Moyna.

 

‘Doctor in the House’ airs Monday 13th October at 9pm on TV3.

 

Interviews are available on request.

 

This brand new series, premiering this Monday on TV3, 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.

 

The new six-part series will see a team of doctors and medical professionals assess a total of six families and identify risks and problem areas that are having a serious and in some cases detrimental effect on their health. Following a rigorous assessment, all six families will receive “doctors’ orders” which will involve them following an eight-week programme as recommended by the medical team. It’s up to the families 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 1, we’re introduced to the Mahony’s from Cork. 55-year-old David, 51-year-old Dolores and their 12-year-old son Oisín used to be fit but the family’s lifestyle has descended into one of takeaways, daily alcohol and virtually no exercise. All of the family carry extra weight and they realise they’ve got to the stage where something needs to change.

 

Dr. Nina Byrnes monitors the Mahony family’s eating habits and discovers some shocking behaviours: “It just doesn’t seem right to me in a household that the 12-year-old child is the one organising dinner. But a few things concern me, Oisín ate a very large bowl of pasta, even by adult standards, with three large pieces of garlic bread, I mean that is just way too much for a child of his age. If he keeps eating like that, he will be a diabetic – sooner rather than later. The dog got a fresh cooked steak. The dog had the healthiest meal of the family this evening – that’s shocking!”

 

Both parents are aware that there are hereditary diseases in their family background and they are keen to avoid the inevitable of what might be down the road if they don’t change their ways. After being health stalked, screened and assessed, the Mahony’s face a big shock. They find out that Dolores has heart disease, along with a possibility of ‘pre-diabetes’, David not only has a fatty liver, but narrowed arteries, and an enlarged heart. They also find out that their son Oisín has extremely low fitness levels, and that he is in the top one percent range of BMI.

 

Speaking about Oisín’s fitness levels, following the results of a fitness test, Professor Moyna said: “If Oisín ran up a flight of stairs, he would be at his maximal effort at the top of the stairs. He has the fitness level of an 80-year-old man, and he is 12 years of age. And to be fair he is a walking time bomb.”

 

The doctors tell the Mahony’s that they must take urgent measures and give them their ‘Doctors’ Orders’. Over the next 8 weeks, the family work hard to improve their lifestyle. At the end of the 8 weeks, the Mahony family is re-tested, but what will the change in their lifestyle have made to their long term health?

 

In the episodes that follow we meet five other households from all over Ireland, each hoping to change their lifestyle and get healthy. 

    

‘Doctor in the House’airs Monday 13th October at 9pm on TV3.

 

See ‘Notes to Editor’ for Doctor biogs.

 

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ENDS

 

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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.