Now enjoying its 16th series, has continued to evolve each year with 72% of viewers who tuned into the show last season saying they were motivated to make one or more changes to improve their health.
The evolution continues this year with the focus still very much on overall health and well-being. The leaders will have a weekly health check-in where 14 health indicators, will be monitored. These include upper body strength, balance, lower body strength, and cardiovascular adding to the usual hydration, blood pressure, metabolic age, weight, general health, nutrition, and movement, among others.
For week five, Dietitian Sophie Pratt, Dr. Sumi Dunne, Dr. Eddie Murphy, and fitness expert Karl Henry met with each of the Leaders to track their progress so far.
Stephanie Bowden
Age: 31
Body composition: 17 stone 10 lbs (down from 19 stone 3 lbs)
Despite suffering from a chest infection, this has been quite the week for Stephanie. Not only has she been getting her anxiety under control with the help of Dr. Eddie, but she was brought out to go engagement ring shopping with her partner, Brian. The two live together with their two children, Jack and Aoife, and decided it was time to take the next step.
The chest infection prevented Stephanie from undergoing most of her fitness tests, but she did speak with Dietitian Sophie about her weight loss, explaining that she has a brand new relationship with food and has a much better understanding of what her body needs.
With the OT 5k on the horizon, Stephanie asked Dr. Eddie if she could have her fitness tracker back so as to keep an eye on her step account in the lead-up. However, Dr. Eddie explained that, because of her anxiety issues, the Dublin woman would be better off listening to her body than worrying about the numbers.
Thomas Hynes
Age: 55
Metabolic age: 65 (down from 60)
Body composition: 13 stone 7 lbs (down from 14 stone 9 lbs)
Just five weeks in to his OT plan and Thomas Hynes seems like a new man. Running around with boundless energy, the Longford man has spent this week romancing his wife, inspiring Irish men to get their health checks, and running his pizza business.
Fitness expert Karl praised Thomas for enjoying his new lease on life ("yourself and Eileen were like a pair of randy young lovers"), and for bringing his metabolic age down five years since the start of his plan, meaning that he is reducing his body fat while maintaining his muscle mass.
During his initial assessment, Dr. Sumi told Thomas that his LDL cholesterol (sometimes called the "bad" cholesterol) was over four when it should ideally sit at two.
Following some further tests, it seems that the heart attack he suffered four years ago may have come about due to a genetic problem that causes a person's cholesterol to be abnormally high.
Since speaking with the doctors, Thomas has been on a mission to raise awareness and encourage men over the age of 40 to get blood tests done on a regular basis.
"Our men don't look after themselves in terms of well screening, and that messaging that you're doing to get checked is so important," says Dr. Sumi.
Marie Clear
Age: 32
Body composition: 9 stone 8 lbs (down from 10 stone 3 lbs)
Notes from the OT experts
Marie was born with Achondroplasia - a genetic condition that slows down the growth of bone in the cartilage of the growth plate - and says that her independence is extremely important to her, meaning she wants to be in the best of health.
With this in mind, Marie's OT plan has been adapted to take account of her profile and she is meeting with fitness experts to get a bespoke plan that includes strength and cardiovascular work as well as rest and recovery time.
Focusing on body composition, Karl told Marie that she had lost four inches from around her waist, and that her lower body strength test had gone from 14 up to 17 thanks to a programme of exercises focusing on her core, back strength, glue strength and leg strength.
A smoker since she was 14, Marie says she reached out to 2022 OT Leader Stefano for advice on quitting the cigarettes. She has set herself a date and hopes she'll finally be able to quit the habit.
Lorraine Dunne
Age: 42
Body composition: 14 stone 2.5 lbs (down from 15 stone 2 lbs)
Lorraine Dempsey juggles a very busy house as well as a busy career. The primary school principal loves her job, but with a busy life in school and a busy life at home with her husband and three children, Lorraine finds it difficult to relax and bring her stress levels down.
This week, she managed to fit in some downtime, going for a swim at a local leisure centre and playing games with her family in the evening. Determined to share her OT lessons with those around her, Lorraine decided to set boundaries with her staff members so as to ensure everyone had their own personal time for rest and relaxation.
The OT experts praised Lorraine for being kind to herself. Lowering the intensity of her exercise when she felt exhausted, she gave her body and mind the opportunity to catch up on rest. By sticking with the food plan, even while lowering her step count, she managed to stay on track with her goals.
Andrea Daly
Age: 38
Body composition: 13 stone 10 lbs (down from 14 stone 9 lbs)
Having struggled to adapt to the OT food plan - and convincing her kids to eat veggie-filled recipes - Andrea got in touch with 2022 Leader Sarah O'Connor Ryan for a helping hand. Following the visit, Andrea used Sarah's tips to get her kids involved with the dinner plan and even managed to get them to eat their cottage pie dinner.
Later in the show, Andrea sat down with Dr. Sumi in the hopes of getting to the bottom of her crippling period pains. Suspecting that endometriosis may be at play, Andrea has been prescribed birth control by her GP in the hopes that it will regulate her hormones.
Her next goal is to take on the 5k, and although she remains unconvinced that she will be able to run for the whole event, Karl Henry is determined to get her race-ready.
