The Twenty Minute Health Check
The Twenty Minute Health
Check is a comprehensive screening programme designed to test every aspect of
your lifestyle - from your eating habits to your susceptibility to stress. As
you work your way through the 120 questions listed here you will collect points
that will give you an automatic health check. When you have completed the
questions add up your total to find out exactly what your score means.
1. Do you deliberately exercise every day, or nearly every day (at least
five days per week)?
Yes: Score 4 and go to 3
No: Score 1 and go to
2
2. Do you ever deliberately exercise?
Yes: Score 2 and go to
3
No: Score 1 and go to 18
3. When you take exercise, do you usually
try to push yourself through the pain barrier?
Yes: Score 1 and go to
4
No: Score 4 and go to 4
4. Do you enjoy your exercise?
Yes: Score
2 and go to 5
No: Score 1 and go to 5
5. If you get a pain, do you
always stop your exercise?
Yes: Score 5 and go to 6
No: Score 1 and go to
6
6. Have you ever suffered from any injury or illness caused by
exercise?
Yes: Score 1 and go to 7
No: Score 2 and go to 7
7. Do
you ever introduce a sense of competitiveness into your exercise (e.g. running
against the clock or playing sports where there are winners and losers)?
Yes:
Go to 8
No: Score 1 and go to 9
8. When exercising do you ever worry
about failing or losing?
Yes: Go to 9
No: Score 1 and go to 9
9.
Are you receiving medical attention for any problem?
Yes: Go to 10
No:
Score 4 and go to 12
10. Have you consulted your doctor about your
exercise programme?
Yes: Score 2 and go to 11
No: Score 2 and go to
12
11. Has he given you permission to continue exercising?
Yes: Score
2 and go to 12
No: Go to 12
12. Do you usually exercise with other
people?
Yes: Go to 13
No: Score 5 and go to 14
13. Have two or more
of them been injured or made ill by exercise in the last 12 months?
Yes:
Score 3 and go to 14
No: Score 6 and go to 14
14. Do you take care to
buy and wear good equipment?
Yes: Score 3 and go to 15
No: Score 1 and go
to 15
15. Do you ever jog or run on hard pavements or roads?
Yes:
Score 1 and go to 16
No: Score 6 and go to 18
16. Does your jogging or
running take you along roads on which there is heavy traffic?
Yes: Score 1
and go to 17
No: Score 2 and go to 17
17. Do you regularly jog or run
along cambered roads?
Yes: Score 1 and go to 18
No: Score 2 and go to
18
18. Do you regularly suffer from ill health?
Yes: Score 4 and go to
19
No: Score 8 and go to 20
19. Do you think that your failure to
exercise should be responsible for your poor health?
Yes: Score 2 and go to
20
No: Score 4 and go to 20
20. Do you get breathless if you have to
exercise unexpectedly?
Yes: Score 4 and go to 21
No: Score 6 and go to
21
21. Do you worry about being out of shape?
Yes: Score 1 and go to
22
No: Score 2 and go to 22
22. Do you feel guilty about not
exercising?
Yes: Score 1 and go to 23
No: Score 2 and go to 23
23.
Does your lack of exercise affect your ability to enjoy life?
Yes: Score 3
and go to 24
No: Score 5 and got to 24
24. Has your doctor told you to
exercise?
Yes: Score 2 and go to 26
No: Score 4 and go to 26
25.
Were you instructed to exercise by your doctor?
Yes: Score 2 and go to
26
No: Score 3 and go to 26
26. Are you more than 14 lbs
overweight?
Yes: Score 10 and go to 27
No: Score 40 and go to
29
27. Are you more than 28 lbs overweight?
Yes: Go to 28
No: Score
20 and go to 30
28. Are you more than 56 lbs overweight?
Yes: Go to
30
No: Score 10 and go to 30
29. Are you more than 14 lbs
underweight?
Yes: Go to 30
No: Score 10 and go to 30
30. Does your
weight affect your relationships with people you meet?
Yes: Score 5 and go to
31
No: Score 7 and go to 31
31. Does your weight affect the clothes
you wear?
Yes: Score 3 and go to 32
No: Score 5 and go to 32
32.
Does your weight ever embarrass you?
Yes: Go to 33
No: Score 5 and go to
33
33. Does your weight affect your sex life?
Yes: Go to 34
No:
Score 5 and go to 34
34. Does your weight depress you?
Yes: Score 3
and go to 35
No: Score 6 and go to 35
35. Do you think your weight is
having an effect on your health or do you suffer from any disease related to
your weight?
Yes: Score 6 and go to 36
No: Score 12 and go to
36
36. Has your doctor ever told you to lose weight?
Yes: Score 5 and
go to 37
No: Score 10 and go to 38
37. Are you currently following his
instructions?
Yes: Score 3 and go to 38
No: Go to 38
38. Is your
father still alive?
Yes: Go to 39
No: Go to 44
39. Does he suffer
from heart disease?
Yes: Go to 40
No: Score 2 and go to 40
40. Does
he suffer from diabetes?
Yes: Go to 41
No: Score 2 and go to 41
41.
Does he suffer from high blood pressure?
Yes: Go to 42
No: Score 2 and go
to 42
42. Was he born with any serious disorder or disease?
Yes: Go to
43
No: Score 2 and go to 43
43. Does he suffer from peptic
ulceration?
Yes: Go to 49
No: Score 2 and go to 49
44. Did he
suffer from heart disease?
Yes: Go to 45
No: Score 2 and go to
45
45. Did he suffer from diabetes?
Yes: Go to 46
No: Score 2 and
go to 46
46. Did he suffer from high blood pressure?
Yes: Go to
47
No: Score 2 and go to 47
47. Was he born with any serious disorder
or disease?
Yes: Go to 48
No: Score 2 and go to 48
48. Did he
suffer from peptic ulceration?
Yes: Go to 50
No: Score 2 and go to
50
49. Choose which of these statements is true:
He is 70 years of age
or less: Score 16 and go to 51
He is between 71 and 80 years of age: Score 18
and go to 51
He is 81 years of age or older: Score 20 and go to 51
50.
Choose which of these statements is true:
He died under the age of 50: Score
10 and go to 51
He died between the ages of 50 and 60: Score 12 and go to
51
He died between the ages of 61 and 70: Score 14 and go to 51
He died
between the ages of 71 and 80: Score 18 and go to 51
He died at the age of 81
or more: Score 20 and go to 51
51. Is your mother still alive?
Yes: Go
to 52
No: Go to 57
52. Does she suffer from heart disease?
Yes: Go
to 53
No: Score 2 and go to 53
53. Does she suffer from
diabetes?
Yes: Go to 54
No: Score 2 and go to 54
54. Does she
suffer from high blood pressure?
Yes: Go to 55
No: Score 2 and go to
55
55. Was she born with any serious disorder or disease?
Yes: Go to
56
No: Score 2 and go to 56
56. Does she suffer from peptic
ulceration?
Yes: Go to 62
No: Score 2 and go to 62
57. Did she
suffer from heart disease?
Yes: Go to 58
No: Score 2 and go to
58
58. Did she suffer from diabetes?
Yes: Go to 59
No: Score 2 and
go to 59
59. Did she suffer from high blood pressure?
Yes: Go to
60
No: Score 2 and go to 60
60. Was she born with any serious disorder
or disease?
Yes: Go to 61
No: Score 2 and go to 61
61. Did she
suffer from peptic ulceration?
Yes: Go to 63
No: Score 2 and go to
63
62. Choose which of these statements is true:
She is 70 years of
age or under: Score 16 and go to 64
She is between 71 and 80 years of age:
Score 18 and go to 64
She is 81 years of age or older: Score 20 and go to
64
63. Choose which of these statements is true:
She died under the
age of 50: Score 10 and go to 64
She died between the ages of 50 and 60:
Score 12 and go to 64
She died between the ages of 61 and 70: Score 14 and go
to 64
She died between the ages of 71 and 80: Score 18 and go to 64
She
died at the age of 81 or more: Score 20 and go to 64
64. Do you suffer
from any specific disease and/or symptoms which could be related to your eating
habits?
Yes: go to 65
No: Score 12 and go to 67
65. Have you needed
to ask for professional advice about your eating habits?
Yes: Go to 66
No:
Score 4 and go to 67
66. Do you (or did you) follow the advice you were
given?
Yes: Score 8 and go to 67
No: Score 4 and go to 67
67. Do
you suffer from high blood pressure?
Yes: Score 2 and go to 68
No: Score 8
and go to 69
68. Do you limit your intake of salt?
Yes: Score 4 and go
to 69
No: Score 2 and go to 69
69. Do you suffer from heart disease
and/or any arterial problems?
Yes: Score 4 and go to 70
No: Score 6 and go
to 71
70. Do you limit your intake of animal fats such as butter and
cream?
Yes: Score 15 and go to 72
No: Score 5 and go to 72
71. Do
you limit your intake of animal fats such as butter and cream?
Yes: Score 15
and go to 72
No: Score 7 and go to 72
72. Do any particular foods
disagree with you?
Yes: Score 3 and go to 73
No: Score 9 and go to
74
73. Do you avoid those foods whenever possible?
Yes: Score 4 and
go to 74
No: Score and go to 74
74. Do you suffer from a food
allergy?
Yes: Score 2 and go to 75
No: Score 7 and go to 76
75. Do
you avoid the food(s) to which you are allergic?
Yes: Score 4 and go to
76
No: Score 2 and go to 76
76. Do you eat regular amounts of fibre
rich food?
Yes: Score 10 and go to 77
No: Score 7 and go to 77
77. Do
you eat a healthy well-balanced diet which contains plenty of fresh fruit and
vegetables and little or no meat?
Yes: Score 14 and go to 78
No: Score 4
and go to 80
78. Have you been warned that your diet is
inadequate?
Yes: Score 4 and got to 79
No: Score 7 and go to 79
79.
Do you take particular care to ensure that your body is not deprived of
essential nutrients?
Yes: Score 3 and go to 80
No: Score 1 and go to
80
80. Have you ever suffered from any disease associated with an
inadequate diet (e.g. scurvy, iron deficiency, anaemia etc)?
Yes: Score 3 and
go to 81
No: Score 12 and go to 82
81. Have you changed your eating
habits to ensure that this problem does not recur?
Yes: Score 9 and go to
82
No: Go to 82
82. Do you smoke?
Yes: Go to 83
No: Score 95 and
go to 94
83. Do you smoke a pipe only?
Yes: Score 40 and go to
88
No: Go to 84
84. Do you smoke between 1 and 20 cigarettes a day (or
cigar equivalent)?
Yes: Score 25 and go to 86
No: Go to 85
85. Do
you smoke less than 40 cigarettes a day (or cigar equivalent)?
Yes: Score 20
and go to 86
No: Score 16 and go to 86
86. Do you smoke tipped
cigarettes?
Yes: Score 5 and go to 87
No: Go to 87
87. Do you have
nicotine stained fingers and/or do you smoke down to the butt?
Yes: Go to
88
No: Score 5 and go to 88
88. Do you have a regular and/or
persistent cough?
Yes: Go to 89
No: Score 5 and go to 89
89. Do you
suffer from breathlessness?
Yes: Go to 90
No: Score 5 and go to
90
90. Do you suffer from frequent chest infections or
bronchitis?
Yes: Go to 91
No: Score 5 and go to 91
91. Do you
suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure?
Yes: Go to 92
No: Score
5 and go to 92
92. Do you suffer from any stomach disorder?
Yes: Go to
93
No: Score 5 and go to 93
93. Has a doctor advised you to give up
smoking?
Yes: Go to 94
No: Score 5 and go to 95
94. Do you drink
alcohol for comfort?
Yes: Go to 95
No: Score 5 and go to 95
95. Do
you drink secretly?
Yes: Go to 96
No: Score 5 and go to 96
96. Do
you feel guilty about your drinking?
Yes: Go to 97
No: Score 5 and go to
97
97. Has the quality of your work gone down because of your
drinking?
Yes: Go to 98
No: Score 5 and go to 98
98. Is your
capacity to work worse after lunch because of drinking?
Yes: Go to 99
No:
Score 5 and go to 99
99. Do you find yourself having to make excuses
because of your drinking?
Yes: Go to 100
No: Score 5 and go to
100
100. Does your drinking cause family rows?
Yes: Go to 101
No:
Score 5 and go to 101
101. Do you have tremors or shakes caused by
drinking?
Yes: Go to 102
No: Score 5 and go to 102
102. Does your
drinking affect your memory or ability to concentrate?
Yes: Go to 103
No:
Score 5 and go to 103
103. Have you ever been arrested for drunken
driving or behaviour?
Yes: Go to 104
No: Score 5 and go to 104
104.
Do you ever lie awake at night worrying?
Yes: Go to 105
No: Score 2 and go
to 105
105. Do you find it difficult to relax?
Yes: Go to 106
No:
Score 2 and go to 106
106. Do you suffer a lot from boredom?
Yes: Go
to 107
No: Score 2 and go to 107
107. Do you have too much
responsibility?
Yes: Go to 108
No: Score 2 and go to 108
108. Do
you wish you had less responsibility?
Yes: Go to 109
No: Score 2 and go to
109
109. Do you ever think that you could do more with your life?
Yes:
Go to 110
No: Score 2 and go to 110
110. Do you ever feel
panicky?
Yes: Go to 111
No: Score 2 and go to 111
111. Do you find
yourself easily irritated?
Yes: Go to 112
No: Score 2 and go to
112
112. Do you ever feel like running away from it all?
Yes: Go to
113
No: Score 2 and go to 113
113. Are you easily annoyed by
noises?
Yes: Go to 114
No: Score 2 and go to 114
114. Do you suffer
from tension headaches?
Yes: Go to 115
No: Score 2 and go to
115
115. Do you regularly have to travel more than you like?
Yes: Go
to 116
No: Score 2 and go to 116
116. Do you regularly need to use
tranquillizers?
Yes: Go to 117
No: Score 2 and go to 117
117. Do
you ever get sick or suffer from diarrhoea when you are nervous?
Yes: Go to
118
No: Score 2 and go to 118
118. Would you describe yourself as
highly strung?
Yes: Go to 119
No: Score 2 and go to 119
119. Do you
worry a lot about what other people think of you?
Yes: Go to 120
No: Score
2 and go to 120
120. Do you worry a lot about your health?
Yes: No
score. Now add up your total score.
No: Score 2. Now add up your total
score.
NOW CHECK YOUR SCORE!
A score below 250 is very
unacceptable.
A score of 251 to 349 is unacceptable.
A score of 350 to 449
is acceptable.
A score of 450 or over is excellent.
If you have an
unacceptable or very unacceptable score, look through your answers and see where
you scored badly. These are the areas where you can make improvements to your
life. Obviously, if some of these concern factors outside your control (i.e the
health of your parents) then you won't be able to make any lifestyle changes.
But, if your poor scores relate to areas where you can make changes then try to
do so. Make a conscious effort to improve your lifestyle, then redo the quiz and
hopefully your score will have improved. You need to maintain those changes,
though, to maintain the benefits to your health.
Copyright Vernon Coleman 2004
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