The Yearly Physical

 There has always been great interest in the “annual check up” or the “yearly physical.”  But do you know where this came from?


In the early 20th Century, as the health insurance industry developed, the insurance companies felt it would be in their best interest if their customers were seen periodically by a physician. Their premise was that problems would be uncovered early, and that would reduce the number and dollar amount of claims they would have to settle, saving them money. (Remember, the mission of insurance companies is not to keep you healthy; it is to increase profit margins).  So they advocated the annual physical and so it has become entrenched in our society. 

A myriad of studies, however, have never proven that this activity confers any benefit to the patient. The likelihood of uncovering a serious problem before the onset of symptoms is vanishing small. In nearly 40 years of practice, I’ve diagnosed exactly one problem, before there were symptoms, that would have caused serious health problems. Aside for arranging for age appropriate cancer screenings, such as mammograms or colonoscopies, screening for hypertension and periodic blood work looking for issues like diabetes, an annual check up offers no benefit. Much of what needs to be done can be done without a visit to a physician. Visits should be to assess symptoms and to manage chronic diseases. 

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