It’s time to take the focus off appearance

I was browsing through The Advertiser on 17/10/12 and was shocked to see the headline ‘Half our Kids are on a Diet’. Reading further the article described children who were 10-11 years old trying to diet to lose weight with boys just as effected as girls.

It really frustrates me that so many people still view exercise and food through the very one dimensional filter of weight control and appearance. While maintaining your weight in the healthy weight range is definitely important , regular exercise and eating a balanced, nutritious diet provide so many more benefits to our health and quality of life.

From personal experience I can attest to exercise as a powerful way to manage stress and feel great – I have spent each morning from 5-7am doing this for the past 15 years! Other known benefits of exercise include decreased risk of cancer, alzheimer’s disease & diabetes, improved aerobic function, balance, strength & posture, reduced back/neck pain and even improved performance at work. This is just a start and there are so many more benefits – both known and unknown.

A balanced diet is also so important for the way we feel, function and perform and should not be restricted to just a means of controlling our waist line. We all know plenty of people who are stereotypically ‘thin’ but who eat rubbish because their weight doesn’t seem to be effected – are they healthy?

So go out and exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet – you will feel great, think clearly and improve your health!

-Kristin Lewis