AMA Family Doctor Week (22 to 27 July 2007)

Family Doctor Week focuses attention on our General Practitioner's role in keeping Australia healthy. This year the AMA would like to emphasize the fact that the person commonly referred to as a 'GP' has a very important role, in family medicine or primary healthcare, both in urban and rural Australia.

AMA(SA) will launch Family Doctor Week with a breakfast for any GP member on Monday 23rd July. To book or for further details, please contact us on (08) 8267 4355 or email AMA(SA).

Topics under focus are:

Youth/Adolescent Health. The focus will be on encouraging young people to have a relationship with a GP highlighting issues such as: the importance of young people knowing they can see a GP on their own; confidentially; trust and the types of problems GPs can help with (mental health, peer pressure, safe sex, drugs etc).

Aged Care. The focus will be on improving support for GPs who provide services in aged care residences. We can give you more information if you are interested. AMA(SA) President, Dr Peter Ford, has been very involved in this work.

Baby Health. The focus will be the GP’s role in early formative months, hearing tests, allergies, immunisations, weight checks, growth charts etc.

Cradle to Grave. Continuity of care across the gamut ie GPs provide prenatal to palliative care.

For further information on specific activities in your local area, call (08) 8267 4355.

Download the Family Doctor Week Poster here

Body image

The AMA(SA) recognises how a poor body image can affect a person’s health. Body dismorphic disorder (BDD) causes one to perceive their own body in a distorted way. To look in the mirror, one might “see” something abnormal, when in fact their body might be perfectly normal.

Poor body image and BDD affect young women and are associated with eating disorders. The AMA(SA) joins the YWCA and other organisations in promoting the use of positive messages about body size and shape. The “Be Real” campaign discourages media from perpetuating unhealthy and unrealistic portrayals of “beautiful” bodies.