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Did you know that over 70% of adults are physically inactive within the UK, with only 37% of males and 25% of females following the guideline activity requirements set out by the government? I'm guessing that less than half of you weren’t aware of this and I am also willing to bet that you are shocked with the figures.
If this is so, then why stand back and allow it? Only 0.05% of people who are classed as obese have a genetic problem as the underlying issue. This means that we can make a difference to the other 99.95% of the affected population!
In 2007, the Government-commissioned foresight predicted that if we did not change our current lifestyles then by the year 2050 over 60% of men, over 50% of women and over 25% of children would be categorised as obese.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine (2007), we should do 30 minutes of physical activity 5 times a week. Now this may seem a large amount, but it does not have to be undertaken in one session alone. Nobody is saying that you can't do 15 minutes before work in the morning and then 15 minutes before bed at night. In fact, I would strongly suggest this!
Your fifteen minute morning workout could be a light jog at a nice steady pace. It could focus on more physical exercises such as press-ups, sit-ups or stomach crunches. The great thing about exercises such as this is that they are hugely rewarding and you only need basic equipment to complete it. However, exercise is not the only answer to our problem.
You can turn your television on right now and no doubt you will stumble across a cooking program. These programs are great at suggesting what you can do with the foods that you have at your disposal and your five-a-day need not to be boring anymore.
As a student, you’d expect me to have a dirty room, a half-functioning liver and a shockingly bad nutritional intake based on pizza and pasta. Whilst 2/3 of them may be true, my nutritional intake is largely balanced and most importantly financially possible. I can go to certain supermarkets and get important fruits and vegetables for a great price, or I can go to the local market just outside of the town centre and get organically grown produce at no more cost. Either way, if I can make it happen so there is no stopping you!
Have a cheat day, this is extremely important. If you are being conscious of your intake throughout the week then you must have a day to yourself where you can eat the “cheat foods”. I find Sunday to be the best day for this, after all who wants to be eating half a Sunday roast?
Now, what can happen if you don’t adhere to the messages that the government are sending out and that nutritionists are warning you about?
Over 9000 people in 2009 and over 10500 in 2010 can tell you. These were the figures released by the NHS in February 2011 concerning the amount of patients being admitted to hospital for obesity related issues. Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is caused by the build-up of cholesterol and fat deposits in the blood vessels. These fatty deposits line the wall of your blood vessels and obstruct the flow of blood through the vessels, resulting in a lack of oxygen rich blood being available, starving your body of oxygen. CHD is the number one Cardiovascular Disease killer in the United States and we certainly do not want it to figure into our lives here in such a heavy way.
It doesn't stop there. Hypertension, Osteoarthritis and Osteoporosis are all major factors that result from a lack of physical activity. Hypertension is the scientific term for high blood pressure and this can be eradicated by getting your five-a-day and exercising regularly. A recent study stated that Kiwi fruit is a great contributor to lower blood pressure, as well as apples. Perhaps the old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” wasn't such a myth after all!
So what do I suggest? We know physical activity is hugely important not only to you but also to your future generations. So help your body combat the aforementioned diseases: follow the guidelines of 30 minutes of exercise five times a week. Also, keep a diary of the foods you eat. This means that when you sit down in the evening to look over your diary and notice that you have had only 1 of your suggested 5-a-day, you can make a conscious effort to remedy this the following day.
A last incentive: a healthy body means a healthy mind! So university students, an apple a day may just bring a 1st class your way!
Ashley Boden is a 3rd year Sport and Excercise Science student from York St. John University. For more information on obesity, visit his website ashbodenonobesity.
good article
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