Embrassing Bodies Episode| Embarrassing Bodies: The handsome, blonde doctor on Channel 4's 'Embarrassing Bodies' and 'Supersize vs Superskinny', Dr Christian Jessen manages to combine sexual frankness with real intelligence - a winning combination. Jessen, still only 32, has packed a lot in. He graduated in 2000 with an MSc in general medicine, infectious diseases, travel medicine and sexual health/HIV. He lived for a time in Kenya and Uganda, where he researched HIV and malaria in children and now, through his TV shows, is changing the way we address certain medical issues.
"I never really imagined when we filmed the first series that this would be of interest to anyone else, but I guess I was wrong," he laughs.
"It's bizarre that people are prepared to not be the slightest bit embarrassed about going on this show. If we didn't have the volunteers that we do, there's no way we could do the show."
When I encounter the great doctor, he's in Dublin on a flying visit to speak at the Eau Thermale Avène skin care meeting and address the psychological impact of skin conditions - a concern that he says affects so many people.
"Irish and Celtic skin is quite sensitive when compared to the rest of Europe and North America. Skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are common in Ireland and in some cases they can dramatically affect people's quality of life."
Dr Jessen is all about improving people's quality of life and in the New Year he's hoping to dispel a lot of common medical myths with his new book, 'Can I Just Ask?'
Unsurprisingly he's always being tackled by strangers wanting answers to their most private medical questions - whether it's on the train, at a party or just in the street, everyone wants a moment of his time, even when it's not appropriate!
"Sometimes people are lovely and just want to say hi, but other times they want to ask long, complicated questions. You know, there is a time and a place and I'm always gob-smacked by how inappropriate people are."
The book includes 250 of the most curious questions that he's come across, the ones we all want answers to.
"It's all about the weird and wonderful things that people ask me, not your boring, average blood pressure-related questions. It's actually a lot of myths, there's so much rubbish out there that people believe."
Can he share any of them?
"It things like - does cracking your knuckles give you arthritis, if you swallow chewing gum does it stay in your stomach for six weeks, will reading in bad light damage your eyes. They are all false, and still mentioned today, normally by parents," he remarks.
'Embarrassing Bodies', which is going into its fourth series not only puts willing volunteers under the microscope, but the doctors themselves. Jessen, Dr Pixie McKenna and Dawn Harper have become the guinea pigs for certain procedures and tests, a new element to the show that Jessen has mixed feelings about. "I think it's a brilliant idea, because it's good for us to go through what the patients have to go through," he answers.
"However, I don't always enjoy it, but it has definitely made me much more sympathetic. They've recently had me going through CT scanners and looking at body fat, and that was pretty terrifying."
I laugh quite loudly at the notion that the man, who brags about spending six days a week in the gym and quite happily shows off his toned abs in certain 'beach' episodes, would be tested for body fat!
"Okay, lack of body fat," he responds "Four percent to be exact."
Despite his buff exterior, Jessen battles his own illness - a serious case of body dysmorphia, and he reveals that he doesn't allow himself to indulge, and the impending Christmas festivities are no exception.
"I'm afraid I'm fanatically obsessive about my weight, so I very rarely let it slip and if I do, I'll make sure I've compensated elsewhere", he states honestly.
"I have real issues in that area, this is something that's been going on for years and years so I'm not likely to let it go, not even at Christmas - we can't lose the abs!"
