Testing Testing

Whether it is a New Year’s resolution or fit for summer, our health is regularly under the spotlight, but what does it mean to be healthy and what is the best way to stay in shape?

- Rob McGovern

For many people, the first step to a better, healthier you is to declare that you will improve your diet, drink less alcohol, give up smoking and finally join a gym. But beyond bulging biceps and a trim waistline, what does being healthy really mean and how can we go about making sure we are truly in top condition?

A good way to check the state of your health, and get advice to help you plan the new diet and workout regime, is to get a health check-up before embarking on your new lifestyle.

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“People may not think an annual check-up is necessary if they feel okay. The important thing to remember is that certain conditions like high blood pressure, cervical cancer, and breast cancer will not show symptoms until advanced stages. The idea is to pick up such conditions at treatable stages,” says Dr Bimal Ashar, clinical director, Division of General Internal Medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and associate professor of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

For those who are one step away from hypochondria, a thorough and comprehensive check, known to some as executive wellness exams, may sound perfect. Offering all manner of tests from electrocardiograms to thyroid function screenings (TSH), they often appeal to business people that are ‘time poor’ and often include access to high-speed Wi-Fi, a selection of newspapers and sometimes even breakfast after the exam is finished.

Offering something in that mould is Forward, a wellness clinic that has adopted the style of a high-end gym. For US$149 a month, users get unlimited access to genetic screenings, blood testing, weight-loss planning and routine doctors’ visits.