BBC Sounds, music radio podcasts.

Hello, I'm Tina Dehealy.

This is Beyond Today from BBC Radio 4,

where we ask one big question about one big story.

Today, should doctors tell you how to live?

Now we all know that January is a time when the NHS faces a heavy strain on its resources

as winter takes its toll. Well this year's no exception. In the last two days,

GP surgeries and A&E departments across England are reporting record long

delays in their waiting rooms. But January is also the month for resolutions. A lot of

people have maybe given up drinking for the month, signed up for a lot of people have maybe given up drinking for the month, signed up for a

marathon or perhaps gone vegan. These behaviors are good for us, but so many of us end up giving them up after 31 days. If you're anything like me, a glass of wine and a

binge watch on the sofa is sometimes a bit too tempting. But when you turn up in the GP surgery

feeding under the weather, how much of that can be sorted out by making a few small

changes to our lives? How do we become healthier ourselves? Whose responsibility is it? And should

doctors prescribe behaviors instead of pills? We invited someone into the Beyond Today

Studio who knows all about this.

I'm really good.

This is Wongan Chatterjee.

He's a GP and author of a new book, Feel Better in Five.

I've been in medical dots of almost 20 years now,

so I've seen a lot of patients in that time.

But he's also got a podcast that I must confess I love.

...