About this website

    Allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Dr. Bob Duncan. If you are thinking that this is another typical health-related website, then think again.  Every picture, every caption, every keystroke has been actuated by me. Whether you love it or hate it, I am the only one to blame.                        

    I have been in private medical practice since 1984.  It is my love.  No lawyer, insurance company, or malpractice premium has yet to change my mind.  In addition, medicine has afforded me the opportunities to see other parts of the world, like Southeast Asia and South America.  I have returned from these visits with a two-fold conviction.  One, we live in the greatest country in the world.  Two, the American way of life  is killing many of us. 

     The sad reality is that our slow deaths are in fact suicides.  The tools for our self-destruction are simply these: OBESITY and SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE.  If we as a people do not come to grips with this reality, our lives will most likely be shorter than we expect, and our days here will be plagued by medicines and misery, not health and happiness.  In Dickens- style, I hope to become your 'Ghosts of Health-Past, Present, and most importantly Future.'  This site will the be the tolls of the clock.

     Although nothing is funny about the health crisis currently facing America, I do believe in the healing power of humor.  A human being is a tightly-woven, complex system with both physical and emotional components.  It is not uncommon for chronically ill people to become depressed.  Perhaps as common but not as well known, the chronically depressed often develop health disorders.  You can't treat one without treating the other.  (Anyone who is unfamiliar with the positive effect of laughter on the human body should read Norman Cousins' Anatomy of an Illness.)  I hope that you will get a flavor of my humor in these writings. If I make you chuckle, then both of us will have accomplished something! 

    I have had wonderful adventures with some of the most gifted athletes on our planet.  I have had a near fatal adventure as well.  This site will review all of them.  It is my hope that you will learn something vicariously through my previous experiences.        

    In this space I originally had a long list of my accomplishments. You know... graduated this, Cum Laude that.  I was so bored with it, I knew you would be too.  I do know that educational status is important today for people searching for health care professionals.  Therefore, I will tell you that I am triple-boarded: in Family Medicine since 1984, in Geriatric Medicine since 1992, and in Sports Medicine since 1999.  In the year 2004, I received the degree of 'Fellow' from the American Academy of Family Practice, an honor of which I am particularly proud. I could put lots more in this area.  If you are truly interested in the details, <click here> for my curriculum vitae.  

     I feel that my 21 years of primary care medicine and my board certifications have positioned me beautifully for the second half of my career.  The war with obesity and inactivity has already begun and we are losing the battle.  If we do not come to grips with this epidemic, there will not be enough coronary care or renal dialysis units in the year 2030 to care for all the complications.  The real solution to long lasting weight control is not just calorie restriction as so many authors would lead us to believe.  It also involves SOME FORM OF EXERCISE.  This is really the main thrust of this site. Our bodies are wonderfully complex machines designed to, with proper care, escort us all over this planet for the duration of our existences.  With abuse and neglect, our vehicles will most certainly fail us.  And remember, you can't buy replacement parts.

    Now for the anti-egghead disclaimer section.  Besides being a physician, I have been happily married for the past 17 years to Lynn, a most wonderful woman I truly don't deserve.   I have two great children, Clay and Carleigh.  They remind me each day 'to not let an old person move into my form.'  I play a mean guitar, a  respectable set of drums, and a pretty pathetic piano.  Besides family, friends, medicine, and music, I also have a great love of bicycling.  I have logged around 35,000 miles since 1997 and have lived to tell the tale. Not shabby mileage for a non-racer. 

     Don't forget to come back each month for updates  
on 'Dr. Bob's Corner.'  This will continue to address topics of medicine, exercise and general health. I will be changing other areas of the web from time to time as well...just to keep you on your toes!  

     Finally, every person, group, business, or organization listed in this website is here for one simple reason: I BELIEVE IN EACH ONE OF THEM!  Each one, in their own way, promotes the pursuit of wellness.  Remember, your health at age 20 is a gift. At age 50 and beyond, it is what you earn.      

Dedicated to the practices of primary care medicine ...
Devoted to the principles of preventative health ...
Determined to help his patients and athletes of all ages keep their dreams alive.