More Information, Less Judgment

Common Sense Health – Diana Gifford-Jones It has been more than a year since I began writing this column on my own. When I first put my name alone at the top of the page, I was conscious of the responsibility. I was following my father, Dr. W. Gifford-Jones, whose name had appeared above this column for more than five decades. That responsibility has not diminished. With time, it is also evolving. At first, I was thinking about how to honour my father's work. Now, I find myself thinking more about what it means to observe the world through my own eyes. That may seem obvious, but it has taken me a year of writing to appreciate what it means. I inherited a commitment to evidence, scepticism of medical fashion and the belief that patients should ask questions. I inherited a conviction that doctors and medical authorities can, at times, be dead wrong. Readers familiar with my father’s column will recall that not everyone aligned with his views on controversial topics. Yet, most would agree he opened debate, and in doing so he informed his readers on many of the pressing issues of the day – ranging from reproductive rights to pain management to the travesty of a drugged-out society. I took on the column because I feel deeply connected to the tradition of the newspaper columnist. I enjoy investigating a subject, reading the research, making up my own mind, and telling readers what I think. I have no interest in what influencers do with their instant opinions and online lures. I prefer the discipline of being accountable for what I put on the page. In the year since I assumed sole responsibility for this column, I have explored subjects spanning nutrition and preventive health, artificial intelligence and medicine, cardiovascular disease, dementia, longevity, and the evolving relationship between scientific evidence and everyday decision-making. My starting point is the thousands of columns my father wrote over more than five decades (archived at www.docgiff.com). It’s the fundamentals of a healthy lifestyle that he underscored again and again. Eat well, exercise, don’t smoke, and maintain a healthy weight. Like my father, I will share cautionary tales of humans making grave errors. Sometimes it is negligence. Other times, blind trust in people and systems. But don't surrender responsibility for your health to someone else. This is especially important as the health landscape is dramatically changing. Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape medicine. New drugs promise remarkable results for obesity and chronic disease. Genetic information is increasingly available to ordinary consumers. At the same time, social media has turned health advice into an endless stream of claims, counterclaims, anecdotes and advertisements. More information has not produced better judgement. In fact, it’s a Gifford-Jones mantra that common sense remains a rare commodity. Paying attention and using good judgment will yield results. Across Canada and around the world, researchers are increasingly talking not about lifespan, but "healthspan" – the number of years we remain healthy, active, independent, and engaged. Living longer isn’t worth your time if you are not living well. The goal to live better for longer resonates with me because it reflects the example my father set. He remained intellectually curious, professionally active, and passionately engaged with readers into his second century of life. In future columns, I will continue exploring nutrition, exercise, prevention, medical research, aging, and public health. I will bring my own perspective on what ordinary Canadians should heed amid the information flooding us. Thank you for including me in your weekly reading. I look forward to the conversations ahead.