Mark Your Calendars: Time for a Healthy Weight Audit
January 18, 2013
Stuck in an unhealthy rut? Saddled with a post-festive season gut? The perfect opportunity is at hand to “audit” your lifestyle and make healthy changes.
Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (AHWW), an initiative of the Dietitians Association of Australia, is coming up from 20 – 27 January 2013. This annual event raises awareness of the importance of maintaining a healthy weight and healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise. And in 2013, the campaign will especially target young women aged 18-25 years.
According to Exercise & Sports Science Australia’s (ESSA) Executive Officer, Anita Hobson-Powell, AHWW is the perfect opportunity to step back and take stock of your lifestyle.
“Consider Australia’s Healthy Weight Week to be an annual audit of your nutrition, fitness and well-being,” said Ms Hobson-Powell.
“Just as you review and balance your finances each year, we encourage Australians to use Australia’s Healthy Weight Week as an opportunity to assess your commitment to your health. It’s a great opportunity to be honest with yourself and to explore how you can improve – whether you’re looking for a complete overhaul or for ways to make relatively small changes which can make a big difference.”
Acting Dietitians Association of Australia CEO, Jodie McHenery, believes AHWW should be marked in everyone’s diary.
“As a starting point, check out the Australia’s Healthy Weight Week website at www.healthyweightweek.com.au. The website offers a number of resources to help you review your weight-management tactics, and make adjustments to your nutrition and exercise strategies,” said Ms McHenery.
“There are no magician’s tricks or secrets when it comes to a healthy weight. The best approach is to make a long-term commitment to eating better and moving more. That way, you’ll better balance your energy intake, through the food you eat, with the energy you’re burning off through exercise.”
For those who find the exercise component of the equation boring or routine, the secret is pursuing what you enjoy most.
“Exercise is not meant to be torture, but rather a way to let your body play and have fun. The trick is to select an activity you love, from gardening, to walking, to wakeboarding,” said Ms Hobson-Powell.
“Shake things up, too – instead of repeating the same exercise over and over, try a wide variety of physical activities. And remember to reward your body with sessions of gentle stretching too.”
Worried about finding time to exercise? Being physically active for just 30 minutes a day will make a difference, said Ms Hobson-Powell. This can be as simple as walking to work or spending less time sitting in front of a tablet computer or the television.
And the good news is you don’t have to do it alone. In the same way as you might engage a financial advisor to help you with your finances, professionals are available for those who need support and guidance.
“If you live with a condition such as diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gastrointestinal diseases, or food allergies or intolerances, an Accredited Practising Dietitian can provide expert nutrition and dietary advice,” said Ms McHenery.
“APDs are trained to assess your diet and provide practical advice about what to eat for better health.”
Similarly, the exercise you choose should be tailored to your activity and fitness levels, according to Ms Hobson-Powell. If in doubt, ESSA suggests seeking the expert advice of an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, who can work out a custom exercise program to guide and motivate you in making changes for life.
“Give your health the same respect you’d give your finances,” said Ms Hobson-Powell.
“Treat Australia’s Healthy Weight Week as an investment in yourself and your future.”
Learn more at www.healthyweightweek.com.au
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For further media information, please contact Maya from Fresh PR & Marketing on 0410 109 102 or email maya@freshprm.com.au.
ABOUT ESSA
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the peak professional body for exercise and sports science in Australia, and provides national leadership and advocacy on key issues. ESSA supports its 3,500+ members and the community by fostering excellence in professional practice, education, training and research.
Website: www.essa.org.au
ABOUT EXERCISE IS MEDICINE®
Exercise is Medicine®, as an initiative of Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA), aims to make physical activity and exercise a standard part of a disease prevention and treatment paradigm in Australia, improving community health and reducing long-term health care costs. The program hopes to make every Australian doctor consider physical activity and exercise as a standard part of treatment programs, resulting in more prescribed exercise for the prevention or treatment of chronic conditions.
The three guiding principles of Exercise is Medicine® Australia are designed to improve the health and well being of all Australians through regular physical activity prescription from doctors and other allied health providers. The guiding principles include:
· Physical activity and exercise are important to health, and to the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases;
· More should be done to address physical activity and exercise in health care settings; and
· Doctors should support the referral of patients to appropriately trained allied health professionals to deliver exercise treatment services.
Official Media Spokesperson for this release:
Anita Hobson-Powell
Executive Officer
Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA)
327 Sandgate Road Albion QLD 41010
E: Anita.Hobson-Powell@essa.org.au
P: 07 3862 4122 M: 0400 519 800
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