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As a population group we Australians are getting fatter, faster; but it's nothing to brag about. According to a recent report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, the number of people who can be considered obese has risen by about 80% in the past 10 years. Now an estimated 3.3 million Australians are obese and at least another 5.5 million are overweight.
Being overweight is a risky business. It can increase your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes and osteoarthritis. Fortunately for most of us, ideal weight can be achieved, slowly but surely, through some simple lifestyle changes to diet and exercise with occasional assistance from medicines.
So this month's National Nutrition Week focus on food and fitness is very timely. So too is the distribution through Self Care Pharmacies of the nutrition series of fact cards titled Weight and Fitness, Fibre and Bowel Health, Fat and Cholesterol and Vitamins.
If you want to lose weight, and keep that weight off, then set a reasonable goal. One or two kilograms a month is ideal. Losing weight gradually gives you time to learn how to maintain that lower weight level.
Generally we consider elite sports people to be super fit; and whilst this may often be the case there is some evidence to suggest that many athletes rely too much on supplements and ignore the essential benefits of a healthy diet
. According to Michelle Cort, nutritionist, from the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), athletes are now surrounded by a huge range of products promising to provide a performance edge, although few are supported by scientific trials. The AIS has now classified sports supplements into four groups according to their relative benefit: those that are known to be beneficial, those that may be beneficial, those that are unproven and those that are banned.
Writing in the medical journal Australian Doctor, nutritionist Rosemary Stanton says when it comes to food for sport, there is no one-size-fits-all message. So the advice for an overweight, middle-aged man who has decided to get fit will differ from the needs of an elite sportsperson, a children's sporting team or a teenage skater whose coach thinks she is overweight.
Nevertheless there are a few basic considerations that apply across the board. Adequate fluid intake is important for all of us; especially in hot weather and before, during and after exercise that causes heavy or prolonged sweating. As Dr Stanton says, children and those taking part in an occasional fun run may need reminders.
When it comes to solid foods, generally speaking, we should all be eating less fat and more fibre. Fibre can help in weight management as well as cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Fibre is especially important for good digestion and keeping the bowel healthy. Some types of fibre may also protect against bowel cancer.
New evidence that high-fibre intake has significant benefits for the heart has been boosted by results of a long-term study highlighting the role of water-soluble fibre. The study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine (8 September), which followed almost 10,000 adults for about 20 years, showed that participants who consumed the greatest intake of dietary fibre (particularly water soluble fibre) had a greater than 10% lower risk of heart and blood vessel disease.
Cereal grains and legumes are excellent sources of water-soluble dietary fibre, the researchers said.
In Australia, the Heart Foundation recommends adults consume about 30g of dietary fibre every day. This can be achieved by eating more breakfast cereals containing oats and barley, choosing wholegrain and multigrain brands and eating more fruit and vegetables. |
