Health conversation questions

Health

 * How much interest do you take in the issue of health? Do you buy health-related magazines?
 * Do you think that men and women have different ideas about health?
 * What kind of exercise - if any - do you do, and how often do you do it? What effects does it have on you?
 * How many hours do you sleep at night? Do you think that you sleep too much or not enough?
 * What is the best way to deal with stress?
 * Do you think that going down to the pub is a good way to deal with stress?
 * What would you recommend to treat a hangover?
 * What do you think of homeopathic or holistic medicine?
 * Do you think that pets have a positive or negative influence on people’s health? Why?
 * Do you think that computers might be bad for people’s health? In what way?
 * Many people in western societies are worried about their weight. Do you feel they are right to worry for health reasons or are they just obsessed about their appearance?
 * Do you consider yourself a hypochondriac? Do you know anybody who might be considered one?
 * How often do you catch a cold?
 * Many people say that if you become cold you can catch a cold. Do you agree - or do you think that you can only catch a cold if you are infected with a virus?
 * What treatment would you recommend to a person who has a cold?
 * If someone has a cold should they struggle in to work or school and infect everybody or should they be lazy and stay at home?
 * Are you allergic to anything? What effect do your allergies have on you?
 * How do you feel about needles?
 * How often do you visit the dentist?
 * What do you think of cosmetic surgery? Do you know anyone who has had cosmetic surgery? Would you ever consider having cosmetic surgery?

Injuries

 * Have you ever:
 * Broken a bone.
 * Had a black eye.
 * Lost a tooth.
 * Burned yourself.
 * Had any stitches.
 * If so - what happened?

Health service

 * Do you have a national health service in your country? It so, which parts are free and which parts do you have to pay for?
 * In the USA some quarters resist the idea of government-funded health-care. What do you think is the basis of this resistance?
 * How long do you usually have to wait to be treated by the state?
 * What do you think about people paying extra money to jump queues to get hospital treatment?
 * Do you think (or suspect) that people who work for the health service get better free treatment than those who do not? If so, what is your opinion of this situation?
 * What is your opinion of your doctor?
 * In some countries, the average time a doctor spends with a patient is eight minutes. What do you think are the consequences of this?
 * In some countries, doctors are criticized as being mere "prescription writers". What is your experience?
 * Have you ever spent time in hospital? What was the problem?
 * How would you feel if you had to go to a hospital in a foreign country?
 * What is your opinion of alternative medicine?
 * Do you think doctors prescribe too much medication?

Diet

 * What part - if any - do you think that diet plays in illness?
 * How important is having a good meal program?
 * How many portions of fruit and vegetables do you eat every day?
 * Do you think it is necessary for healthy people to take additional vitamins or mineral supplements?
 * Do you know any vegetarians? What are the arguments for and against?
 * How often do you eat fast food? What is your opinion of fast food?
 * We are often assured that our food is “safe”. Is all food “safe”? Is any food “safe”?
 * Which do you think is the most dangerous for your health:
 * Ten cigarettes every day.
 * Half a bottle of wine every day.
 * Regularly eating genetically modified food.