Meet our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Adam

Dr ADAM CAREY BSC MBBCHIR MRCOG NTCC 

You have an impressive and varied career!  Can you sum it up for us?

Thank you.  I trained as a doctor at Cambridge and then Oxford Universities.  After qualifying I went on to specialise in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, with specialist training in reproductive endocrinology and nutrition.  I left the NHS in the late 90’s because most of the patients I was seeing were there because of the way they ran their lives.  I was seeing the consequences of obesity, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes playing out in our infertility, antenatal and menopause clinics and often needing to treat the consequences of problems I believed were avoidable. I left to work out how to deliver what we now call coached behavioural change wellness and performance programmes.  I have delivered these in private practice, sport and for large businesses over the last twenty years as well as having intermittent roles in the media.  It has been a lot of hard work and fun.   

Why did you specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology?

As a student I was fascinated by the creation of life, I still am.  I loved embryology and once I qualified, I realised I preferred healthy people to sick ones.  Most of obstetrics and gynaecology is actually about supporting normal physiological processes like conception, childbirth and the menopause.  These are not illnesses.  It is about optimising the outcomes for women at different phases of their lives.  This is what I am still doing, but without a gender bias.

You left the NHS as a consultant in 1998, why?

I left the NHS because I felt we were always left treating the symptoms of the problem not the causes. A woman who starts her pregnancy overweight is more likely to have complications for her and her baby purely because of the excess weight being carried.  We were focussed on treating the presenting issues, not the underlying problem.  Today the NHS is going to fall over both clinically and financially because of the burden of Type 2 diabetes, a condition that for most, is completely avoidable and is caused by a poor uninformed lifestyle. I was keen to tackle these sorts of issues and was not given the opportunity or support to do so within the system, so I stepped out.  

What have been your career highlights?

I have been incredibly fortunate since leaving the NHS.  I have established and sold several businesses, had the good fortune to be part of Sir Clive Woodward’s 2003 Rugby World Cup team and run a similar role for England Cricket's Ashes success in 2005.  I have supported Bode Miller, as part of the US Ski Team at two Olympic Games where he won six medals to become the most decorated US skier, as well as supporting many other teams to sporting success.  I was part of ITV’s Celebrity Fit Club hosting panel and was one of the hosts for the BBC’s Trust About series. I have been part of teams that have walked unassisted to both the North and South Poles and ridden off-road motorbikes across Africa and all this whilst doing a job that I love, helping people perform at their best and enjoying life to the full.

Why did you choose to work with Indi?

Whilst I am not a huge supplement advocate, I am a realist.  It used to be said you can get everything you need from a healthy well-balanced diet.  I have been working in the field for over 20 years and very rarely met anyone who has managed to achieve this goal. In the 21st Century there is huge pressure on all of us, especially young adults trying to establish their careers, a relationship and possibly a family.  People run out of time chasing their tails.  And yes, you can choose to do things smarter, but most of us will need some support some of the time. Indi is here to help.  Help you get some of the complexities of a well-balanced diet right. Providing what many do not have time to do from a whole food diet. Cooked from scratch. They are very high quality, thoughtfully designed products that will make a difference.  They are also produced by a team who also have the same problems as you and I. They have spent their time looking for solutions and how to help.

If you could give one piece of advice to support a healthy life, what would it be?

Focus on better food choices. You cannot train your way out of a poor diet.  You are going to eat every day, so small daily choices have a huge long-term impact.  Is there one thing you could do better tomorrow? Make a start and build on this success. 

What do you want your legacy to be?

Ideally to have helped as many people as possible to live their best life. As far as I am aware this is not the dress rehearsal.