I had a private health assessment - the results shocked me into losing weight

We never give a second thought about taking our cars in for an MOT, without fail, each year. But when it comes to giving our own bodies a regular healthcheck, most people don't give it a thought until there's something going seriously wrong.

Yet health research continues to show that the earlier you're aware of indicators of poor health, the more chance you've got of making changes or getting the help to ensure they don't develop into more serious conditions in the future.

Health Checks are free on the NHS once you hit the ripe old age of 40 - and are then recommended to take place every five years after that up to the age of 74. The check-ups test for known risk factors for developing conditions like heart disease, stroke and diabetes through blood tests, blood pressure and weight.

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But if you don't come under the age brackets to qualify for the NHS Health Check, there's always the option of going private for a Health Assessment too.

I remember my first NHS Health Check being a fairly thorough affair at the age of 40, but I'm afraid my five year follow up didn't exactly go to plan. I had my blood tests done, but was never invited for a follow up and when I asked my GP about it was told in a very brief summing up "oh there's nothing to worry about" although it was mentioned that my cholesterol was raised without any further detail about this given.

Since then, I was interested to read the most recent research on cholesterol published by the Lancet in August, which said there is now strong evidence to show that elevated levels of LDL cholesterol (more on that later) can increase your future risk of getting dementia.

What was most of interest to me though, was the study's findings that addressing raised cholesterol in mid-life (18-65) had "the greatest impact in delaying or preventing the onset of dementia later in life."

Already knowing all too well that I need to lose quite a bit of weight, and my nagging concerns about my cholesterol being raised, the research brought into sharp focus for me the feeling I could do with a more thorough assessment of my health indicators, to see what I can do now to really try and address any problems in future.

Private health assessments are offered by a wealth of clinics across the region, and can range in price depending on how in-depth you want the testing to go, and whether you want a GP appointment alongside them too. It's also worth checking the small print of any health insurance you have either privately or through your employer, as many schemes will pay for you to have an annual health check - as I discovered through my own workplace health plan.

Having explored some of the options, I decided to head to BUPA's newest Greater Manchester clinic, in Wythenshawe, to undergo a series of tests on its "Be.Motivated" health check which costs £259. For this price you get a one-hour appointment with a health adviser who conducts a range of checks on the day including your blood pressure, your cholesterol, blood sugar levels and your height, weight, waist measured as well as flexibility tests.

The best thing for me, though, was getting all the results straight away on the day - as well as a report sent by email afterwards - so there was no waiting around or having to chase up any data afterwards. It meant I left with a fully informed picture of my health right now.

And crucially, some VERY clear health messages that I have already taken heed of. Here's how it all went.

The assessment

I headed to the BUPA office in Wythenshawe for my asssessment, having filled in a health questionnaire online beforehand covering everything from medications and any health issues I have at the moment (thankfully none for me) as well as more general questions around how well you sleep, how you'd assess your mental health and well-being.

I was greeted by my health clinician Laura who took me into a private room and she explained how she would go through some more questions, and also take some bloods that would be tested straight away while we went through the rest of the assessment.

My height, weight and waist were measured and my blood pressure was taken with three different readings. I also had some kind of ECG test done, and then I was tasked with a series of flexibility exercises like touching your toes and how far I could stretch my arms.

The results

I was amazed to find that the results were given straight away - no waiting or having to chase up for them. Even the blood test results were back in the hands of Laura within mere minutes.

I was also told the full report would be emailed to me later that day, which they did, to enable me to refer back to it and "identify any changes you can make to improve your well-being".

Laura was able to talk me through each aspect of the results and really explain all the different elements of the tests. Health risks were given in a simple speed dial type diagram - ranging from bright green for very low risk through to amber and then bright red for higher risk.

So shall we start with the good news? Well, it turns out my flexibility is great at least - I scored a "perfect" green on the full range of mobility. I was also pleased to be in the green and thus defined as low risk for developing cardiovascular disease or diabetes in future, and had green scores for my sleep. I'm great at sleeping.

However my body composition, which included my BMI, my height to waist ratio and fat percentage (which I'm too horrified to print) were all heading into the red zone. I know I'm overweight so this was no massive surprise, but it still made for grim reading when I saw it all written down on a chart.

My BMI was described as "significantly higher than recommended." and the report said it is important that I consider losing weight to reduce health risks, adopt healthier eating habits and increase activity." Gulp.

What was a surprise, was learning more about my cholesterol. It was tested in different levels - for the "good" fats and the "bad" fats in your bloodstream essentially. While my overall level was described as "raised" the fact my HDL rating (that's the "good" fats in your blood) was excellent meant the overall result was not deemed a cause for concern.

However the result for my triglycerides in my blood is what has really made me stop and think. This came back as high, and Laura explained that these are caused by the foods you eat.

The one way I could help to bring this back to a normal rate is by cutting down my intake of saturated fats and refined sugars. I think it's probably the first time I've actually realised what an impact poor diet is having on my body.

My blood pressure was also high on the day at 140/100 - although Laura explained that could be down to the "white coat syndrome" of the stress of the day. She said she would write to my GP and recommend I have it rechecked at my surgery in two weeks time, which I did.

What happened afterwards

The impact of the health assessment was pretty instant for me - seeing it all written down in black and white has made me think long and hard about some unhealthy eating habits (goodbye chocolates and biscuits) and to get my running shoes back out of the wardrobe.

I've lost just over 3kg (7lbs) since the assessment, having taken on board what was discussed at the meeting. That has been over the course of four weeks so I've not tried to rush it or crash diet, I'm trying to make meaningful changes to the way I eat in a way that is manageable for my lifestyle.

The biggest thing for me was seeing, and being told, the reason for the higher reading of triglycerides in my blood - and that's eating too many high fat and sugary processed foods. It was crystal clear seeing it in front of me that these types of foods really need to just go from my diet - that they are literally harming me.

What I've done so far is simply stick to a whole food diet, trying to eat more organic foods for example (which you can read about here).

I was also encouraged to get more exercise into my schedule, and we discussed that I should be getting 150 minutes of exercise over the week, and to include two sessions where I'm getting my heart rate raised a bit more than my current exercise regime which had just been walking.

I discussed with Laura on the day of the assessment how I had got heavily into running during the covid lockdowns, but that life had now got in the way of that and I had let my fitness slip. She encouraged me to try to resume running which is something I have now started to do, starting with twice a week.

As part of the assessment, you also get two follow up calls from a coach, and I've had the first of these giving an update and chatting through some of the challenges and changes I've made.

It all feels like fairly manageable adaptations to my life really, and I'm hoping that with the clear motivation now to improve my health scores I can really stick to a healthier lifestyle.

What happens next

BUPA suggested I leave at least six months before a follow-up health assessment, to retest my results.

So I've agreed to return again in the New Year to be checked again and see if any of the steps I'm now taking to improve my health and fitness have a positive impact on my stats.

I actually feel excited to go back, and committed to continuing the changes I've made so far in cutting out saturated fats and sugars from my life, and increasing my exercise levels.

I'm hoping that maintaining this will help me to lose more weight in the weeks ahead, and see some of those red scores dialled back down to amber or even green by the time I head back for my next assessment. I will be sure to let you know the results come February!