My big fat turning 50 health and beauty MOT – and how I’ve stayed the same weight since I was 16

With a landmark age in sight, Barbara McCarthy decided to get a full health checkup and find out how she could best support the vitality of every part of her body, including teeth, skin and bones

Journalist Barbara McCarthy on turning 50 and the health checks it requires

Barbara McCarthy

I’m turning 50. No-one is as shocked as I am. I’m the time between Italia 90 and now away from 85. But I’m not alone – Angela Jolie is the same age as me – to the day.

There is comfort in sharing a birthday with the most beautiful woman in the world, but I often lie awake at night, wondering why I’m not young anymore. As a member of Generation X, we had it all – endless fun without phones and culture wars, cheap pints, cheap rents and a bright future.