Corporate medical examinations: what is the focus?

The human being was designed more than 100,000 years ago and lived in a nature park better than a heritage listed townhouse. Now, the human lives in an environment that has been chiefly manufactured or extensively human-influenced. Currently, the modern human is constantly adapting a Stone Age design to the new situation.

If a time machine were possible – what reactive symptoms would a transported “Stone Ager” experience on sampling the modern habitat? Much the same as modern Homo sapiens would be under duress in the reverse scene. Every now and then our “cool” is shattered and our ability to rationalise the situation collapses. Thus, we can experience the following: apprehension; anxiety; tremors; fear; sweating; piloerection (hair standing on end); nausea; diarrhoea; and rapid heart rate – just to name a few.

In a modern “challenge” we can experience many of these symptoms. Should they persist too long however, our health suffers. Primitive humans had a balance in which heightened mental stimulation at most times associated with exertion such as in hunting for a meal.

Nowadays, these two features are often not associated. The mind of modern Homo sapiens may be in a persistent “killing” mode but physically there may be no balancing physical exercise. This can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and many other “modern”diseases where sloth is apparent.

A corporate medical examination is specifically designed to appraise for any maladaption as well as for the influence of poor genetic features (such as family history of early onset diabetes or bowel cancer), or physical damage (accident, operations and medication requiring conditions).

By Dr Ian McPherson, executive manager – medical services, Peak Health Management. Email [email protected] or visit www.peakhealth.com.au