When you look at the following list, particularly from a doctor’s perspective, it makes sense that life would be better without these things in it:

As a young GP, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to take on the world, ready to assist my patients in their behaviour change journeys to optimise their health and wellbeing.

If only I could help them quit smoking, for example, this would improve their health in countless ways — and save the health system countless costs.

However, once I started to practise as a GP, it did not take me long to realise that if a patient hates themselves — or has little internal self-regard or self-esteem — then changing a behaviour that harms them does not make sense.