To save lives, this doctor is defying the orthodoxy

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","dateModified":"2026-04-28T01:35:00Z","datePublished":"2026-04-28T01:35:00Z","description":"To impress cardiologist Stephen Fenton I keep my lunch choices on the healthy side.","headline":"To save lives, this doctor is defying the orthodoxy","keywords":"Lunch with, Just in, David Wenham, Bob Carr, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Japan, World War II, Albert Einstein, Features, For subscribers","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nick Galvin","jobTitle":"Arts Editor","url":"/by/nick-galvin-hveao"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/to-save-lives-this-doctor-is-defying-the-orthodoxy-20251215-p5nnur.html","@type":"WebPage"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"1322.6666666666665","url":"https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.16445000133288157%2C$multiply_0.7025%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1059%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/57f7374821a9aac70af8fea8e498d125b29f978d","width":"744"},"isAccessibleForFree":false,"hasPart":[{"@type":"WebPageElement","isAccessibleForFree":false,"cssSelector":".paywall"}],"publisher":{"@type":"NewsMediaOrganization","name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","height":"628","url":"https://www.smh.com.au/metro-assets/assets/static/smh.png","width":"1200"},"url":"https://www.smh.com.au"},"isPartOf":{"@type":["CreativeWork","Product"],"name":"The Sydney Morning Herald","productID":"smh.com.au:webonly"}}{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle","name":"Lifestyle"},"position":1},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness","name":"Health & wellness"},"position":2},{"@type":"ListItem","item":{"@id":"https://www.smh.com.au/topic/lunch-with-1q3","name":"Lunch with"},"position":3}]}AdvertisementLifestyleHealth & wellnessLunch withTo save lives, this doctor is defying the orthodoxyNick GalvinApril 28, 2026 — 11:35amSaveYou have reached your maximum number of saved items.Remove items from your saved list to add more.ShareAAAHaving lunch with a medical specialist is potentially a nervy affair. And doubly so when that doctor is a senior cardiologist on a mission to prevent more Australians dying at an untimely age from heart attacks.So I’m already feeling a little judged as I scan the menu at Centennial Park’s Centennial Homestead opposite Dr Stephen Fenton.Chorizo is off the menu when lunching with heart-health advocate Dr Stephen Fenton.Jessica HromasFenton had settled on the venue because of its mostly heart-friendly menu, but even so I have to drag my eyes away from the bacon, hash browns and chorizo (mmm, chorizo) towards something more likely to win approval.Happily, we both land on the vegetarian nourish bowl, which it turns out is both delicious and healthy. To drink, it’s sparkling water. My days of chips, burgers and maybe a cheeky chardie or two for lunch are now history and, by the look of Fenton, who has just turned 74, were never really part of his story.AdvertisementFenton – who is possibly the least judgy doctor I’ve met – has been in the heart game for more than 40 years, witnessing a period of extraordinary advancement in cardiology. Our connection stems from my own near-fatal heart emergency last year, which, happily, was fixed by a stenting operation. Fiona Foo, the angel in a mask and gown who operated on me, studied under Fenton…

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