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It’s an undeniable fact…. excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and even some cancers. As excess weight increases, not only does the risk of developing these diseases increase, but the ability to manage or control them also diminishes.
We can continue to walk on egg shells around the topic…. stick our heads in the sand…. or ignore the proverbial elephant in the room…. but facts are facts:
- 31% of adults are obese. This has increased from 19% in 3 years.
- A further 36% of adults are overweight.
- Only 31.5% of adults maintain a healthy.
- 5% of adults are considered underweight.
- 25% of children are overweight or obese.
As a Women’s Health and Wellness Coach, I often hear people discussing how the Government should do more to prevent our ever-increasing obesity statistics, particularly relating to the restriction of unhealthy fast-food options. In fact there are many proposals currently under review and consideration, including, but not limited to:
- Making processed food and drinks healthier by limiting energy and nutrients of concern;
- Interventions that increase the availability, accessibility and affordability of healthy food and drinks for disadvantaged communities;
- Reducing the exposure of unhealthy foods and drinks in marketing and promotion;
- Increasing information to support healthier consumer purchasing decisions;
- Exploring pricing policies to help shift consumer purchases towards healthier options.
Whilst these are valuable considerations, the real solution to our current healthcare crisis has nothing to do with Government policies and interventions…. but everything to do with us, as individuals, as parents, and as families!
By choosing to live a healthy lifestyle, we play a direct role in the solution to this National health crisis…. By avoiding our personal responsibility to take care of ourselves, we effectively become part of the problem.
The Role of Natural Therapies in Preventative Health:
When addressing health proactively, many families are exploring natural therapies alongside conventional medical approaches. Naturopathy, for instance, focuses on prevention and holistic care by identifying lifestyle adjustments that can reduce the risk of chronic conditions like obesity and heart disease.
Exploring natural approaches doesn’t mean abandoning medical advice—it’s about finding harmony between lifestyle, diet, and well-being. For those interested, you can find naturopaths across Australia who specialize in creating balanced health plans tailored to individual needs. This way, you’re not just treating symptoms but addressing root causes to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
Proactive Prioritisation:
Long term good health comes from taking care of ourselves long before a crisis (such as chronic illness or disease) develops. Waiting to do something only after the crisis has arrived is simply a ‘band-aid’ approach… something to do to make us feel like we’re ‘fixing’ the problem. Illness however, is ultimately just the final stage of many missed opportunities to take care of ourselves well.
Poor food choices, lack of physical activity, lack of quality sleep and high stress levels all deplete our ‘wellness reserves’ and invite opportunities for illness. Let’s face it, chronic illness and disease (of which excess body weight and obesity are often pre-cursers) is the body’s only way of telling us that something is very wrong with our lifestyle.
The best way to take responsibility for our health is to throw away the band-aid approach and implement a preventative approach. By not relying on short term fixes for long-term problems, we are able to feel more empowered and confident in our bodies and are able to enjoy a higher quality of life for far longer.
Choose Healthier Foods:
The old saying “you are what you eat” is certainly true…. and although there is no such thing as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food there is a significant difference in the ‘quality’ of nutrition that various foods provide us. When we consume foods containing poorer quality nutrition, it diminishes our health substantially and that shows in our energy levels, our body composition, in our skin and even in our mood!
1. Stay Active: Participating in fun physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce stress and fill our bodies (and minds) with vitality. Having fun with our physical activity is an important consideration when we try different types of exercise too, because we increase the likelihood of ongoing participation if there is enjoyment, satisfaction and a level of social interaction. Invite your family or friends along to exercise, kick a ball in the park or go for a nice walk or other adventure activity.
2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Sleep has always and will always be important to good health.… it also plays a large role in our mental wellbeing and daily functioning. To allow our body adequate time each night to recharge, we should aim for between 7-8 hours of quality sleep every night (although each individual is different). While we sleep, our brain is able to process information gathered throughout the day, our body is able to recover and rebuild from the physical impact of the day and our hormones are able to stabilise and regulate metabolic functions including hunger and appetite.
3. Take Time for Self-Care: It’s impossible to pour from an empty cup! If our immediate reaction is to think, “I don’t have time for self-care” then we have instantly created a challenge for ourselves! Self-care is far from being selfish though! It’s hard to be a good parent, run a business or be a productive employee without adequate internal (mental and emotional) resources. Taking time out to do the things we love, all helps to refill our tank and rebuild our resilience to get through the stress of life. It builds confidence, self-awareness and ownership. When we possess these attributes, we increase our internal locus of control…. and when we increase our internal local of control, we can substantially impact our long term health outcomes.
Taking responsibility of these small simple steps lays the foundation for happy, healthy and active life not only for each of us as individuals, our children and our families, but it also has the potential to influence the future health of our Nation.
Enjoy!
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Written by: Cherie Rivas
Women’s Health & Wellness Mentor & Coach
Feel ALIVE! energized and capable of performing at your peak, by nourishing your body with real, fresh, living foods…. just the way that nature intended!
ALIVE! is the Ultimate Perfect Produce Guide…. listing what’s in season (in a month-by-month format), as well as loads of great information and feature recipes.
Get your FREE COPY here:
C.
xx
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