For many obese people losing weight can seem like an uphill struggle, no diet seems to work and you find it hard to exercise, so what else can you do? Many people find that their doctors struggle to provide them with specialist advice on diet and exercise, which is why an increase in the number of prescription weight-loss drugs being given out in England is continuing to rise.

For many taking diet pills such as Acomplia, Reductil and Xenical is a last resort after many years of struggle, research shows that weight loss pills cost the NHS £47 million last year, an average of £32 per prescription. Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said: “Dealing with patients who are grossly overweight is very difficult, but pills are not the solution. What these patients need is a balanced diet and expert dietary advice from a dietician and often psychological support, to change their behaviour long-term. But the availability of these services is not great and doctors resort to prescribing medication under patient pressure.”

Whatever the solution being overweight and obese causes long term health problems and often the damage cause can be irreversible, but because there is no quick fix solution this will be a matter that won’t go away which is why weight loss is serious buisness.

Few would argue that a child’s health is not one of the most important issues facing modern parents today, particularly if you live and work in London, as finding time for regular checkups and sick visits may be a stretch for your already jam-packed schedule. The doctor may be overbooked and overscheduled, too, so making the most of your time together is important. This being so, what are the best ways in which we can communicate our concerns and questions to our child’s doctor, importantly, how do we strengthen the relationship with the doctor who plays such an important role in your child’s health?

We all know that the days of the doctor calling in to see the child as a routine matter doing his house calls have virtually gone; doctors are pressured to see more patients in less time and to spend less time with each patient. With these pressures and with ever increasing complexities of the health care system it means that today’s parents have to take charge of their kids’ care. In the past, parents may have known far less about their child’s health, growth, and development. With this in mind many parents are turning to a child doctor London practice where they can talk to a qualified practitioner who specialises in children’s health; this can be an online consultation, by telephone, or by making an appointment at their London surgery.

Although the Government does not offer single vaccinations to protect against the measles, mumps and rubella diseases, there are hundreds of parents of young children who prefer that their child be given single injections to protect them.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection that’s caused by a virus. It causes a total body skin rash and flu-like symptoms, including a fever, cough, and runny nose and although the vast majority of children recover quickly from measles with no lasting effects, a small number will experience complications which last into later life.

Mumps is one of the more common childhood illnesses, it is the disease with the longest incubation period and can take as long as three weeks from infection to outbreak, which can make it difficult to track down the source of infection. The virus is contagious for about two to three days before and up to seven to eight days after the disease breaks out.

Rubella, commonly referred to as German measles, is an infection that primarily affects the skin and lymph nodes; it can also pass through a pregnant woman’s bloodstream to infect her unborn child, with potentially devastating consequences for the developing foetus.

To prevent a child contracting these infections, vaccination is the answer, for those who prefer not to go down the MMR combined vaccine route, parents can access an MMR singles vaccine London clinic where the protection can be provided.