Halifax GP hoping to save the country from serious illness because of poor nutrition

GP Mark Wilshere has teamed up with fellow doctor Marc Crutchley to launch vitamin supplement firm Dr Marks.

The 42-year-old, who has been working as a GP in Calderdale since 2013, says he and his partner Marc Crutchley have been inspired by concerns the UK is "sleepwalking" into serious illness because of its poor nutrition.

"In 2019 the Health and Food Supplements Information Service produced a damning report on UK nutritional decline." said Dr Wilshere.

"Over the past 20 years, there has been a decline of key vitamins and minerals in the UK population.

"Their experts warn that the UK is sleepwalking into serious illness and that the declining trend is very likely to cause a surge in chronic illnesses and premature death.

"Whilst we do see many people in our clinic with deficiencies, we had not really grasped the seriousness of the situation and were very concerned.

"So we decided to establish a company that tries to resolve the worsening UK nutrition through education and quality supplements.

"We don't think it is acceptable not to highlight this problem and as doctors we have a focus on prevention."

There are a variety of reasons why our nutrition is on the decline, said Dr Wilshere, including that we do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.

"There is also an increase in more processed foods being eaten which often do not contain enough beneficial nutrients," he said.

"In addition, many people are opting for diets that reduce the range of foods available to eat and this can also be a factor.

"We also know that food purchases are driven by price and for many people struggling financially, it can be difficult to achieve or maintain a rich balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables."

For more information, visit www.drmarks.co.uk. Their vitamins can also be ordered through Amazon.