Most will have some, but will know their good intentions won't endure far into January. Go online and there are lists aplenty of the most commonly broken resolutions.

One compiled by the University of California, San Diego is apt. No. 1 – to lose weight and exercise. Researchers apparently say 60 per cent of gym memberships signed in January never get used and most of the rest are ignored by mid-February. No. 2 – quit smoking. Only 15 per cent make it to six months. Just making the list at No. 12, to drink less. 

Clearly the reason these resolutions feature on most of the commonly "broken" lists is that they are the issues that we privately realise are the ones that could, potentially, be life transforming. More than that, they might even be life saving. But, they are tough to stick to.

Many, as the years pass, will hear more regularly stories of not-so-old friends or relatives who "aren't doing so well". They are suddenly faced with taking regular medication just to keep things on an even keel.

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Year round medical research reminds us of the impacts of overindulgence. Here's a quick catch-up guide from 2017 reports.

Diabetes. A staggering 280 Australians develop diabetes every day. That's one person every five minutes with a total annual cost impact estimated at $14.6 billion. 

Obesity. We are a remarkably overweight population, and we are seeing it more and more in our children, said Professor Rosemary Calder, director of the Australian Health Policy Collaboration in May. In Australia the guidelines say just 5 per cent of the daily diet, or about six teaspoons, can come from added sugars, but we actually eat double that – more like 14 teaspoons.

Alcohol. Seventy-eight per cent of people believe Australia has a problem with excess drinking, according to the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education's national alcohol poll. It found 59 per cent of 25- to 34-year-olds drink to get drunk compared with 70 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds.

So there you have it.

It isn't really about making a new year's resolution or jumping onto the latest fad diet. It is about biting the bullet and making lifestyle decisions for the long term. Not just halfway into January.

Have a healthy new year.