Doctor in the House | Season 4 | Episode 2
Declan (39) and Diane (36) Slattery are a married couple who live in Tuam, Co. Galway. Both played rugby until a couple of years ago but their health has deteriorated in recent years. They eat a lot of convenience foods, takeaways and treats. Declan drinks 10-16 pints on weekend nights out and Diane drinks bottles of beer for every pint of Declan’s. Diane has put on a stone a year over the last 4 years and Declan weighs 23st. Declan has battled depression since his teens. He lacks confidence and attributes this partly to weight gain. The couple have been trying to conceive for the last couple of years. They know IVF may be their last chance of conceiving so they want to lose weight and lead a healthier lifestyle before commencing treatment to maximise their chances. After being assessed by the experts, the couple find out they are obese and have fatty liver, which increases their risk of cardiovascular disease. Diane’s triglycerides – or the fat circulating in her blood is very high. Declan who trained three to four nights a week until quite recently, is shocked to find out his fitness is now classed as poor. The pair leave studio with a list of orders; no takeaways, follow the experts’ plans and cut out alcohol. The pair spend the next couple of months doing their best to try to stick to their plan and avoid temptation. They see a fertility specialist to find out more about their fertility and the options that are available to them. Could their improvement in lifestyle increase their chances of pregnancy? After 8 weeks they return to the Consultation Room to find out whether their efforts have paid off…