Benefits of Living a Healthy Life Style
WLR Dietitian Juliette Kellow reveals there are big benefits
for both men and women living a healthy lifestyle and reports on
the UK government's Small Change Big Difference campaign.
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Small Change Big Difference
By WLR Dietitian
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Although most of us know it’s important to eat healthily and
take more exercise if we want to stay fit and well, many of us
still find it hard to incorporate these things into our daily
lives – possibly because they seem so intimidating. Fortunately,
the government has come to the rescue with the launch of a new
initiative called Small Change, Big Difference that aims to
encourage people to make small changes to their lifestyles in
order to achieve big health benefits so they live longer,
healthier lives.
The launch was supported by research from Addenbrooke’s
Hospital in Cambridge, which revealed that small changes in diet
and physical activity could add years to your life. The research
used data from a population study, that involved collecting
information from 22,000 men and women aged 40 to 79 in 1993, and
again in 2004.
What Impact Can Lifestyle have on Health?
Focusing on eating habits, the study highlighted the
importance of fruit and vegetables in the diet. Compared with
the 20% who ate the least fruit and vegetables, the 20% who
consumed the most were half as likely to have died of any cause
between the two dates; less than half as likely to have died
from cancer and around a third less likely to have died of heart
disease. Each 50g increase in fruit and vegetable consumption
was associated with a 20% lower risk of death.
The research
highlights once again the fact that only around 25% of the UK
population eats the recommended five a day portions of fruit and
vegetables. For more information on healthy eating see
healthy heart diet.
The study also showed that adding just moderate amounts of
physical activity to your life, for example, by walking up the
stairs instead of taking the lift, was found to help adults live
an extra three years. For some ideas about how to increase your
activity level throughout the day see
The Importance of Regular
Exercise.
Public Health Minister Caroline Flint, who launched the
initiative together with Tony Blair said, "We all know we should
eat more fruit and veg and get more exercise to improve our
health but sometimes this can be daunting. Small Change, Big
Difference is about showing people there are everyday, simple
choices they can make in their lives, which will have a direct
impact on their health. Eating an extra piece of fruit or
walking up the stairs can help people add years to their lives."
Sadly, a survey carried out by Holmes Place at three of
London’s busiest tube stations the day after the launch,
revealed that only 1.3 percent of Londoners had taken any notice
of the new campaign. A massive 98.7 percent of commuters still
chose the escalators over the stairs when entering and leaving
the stations! Holmes Place fitness experts say this is a shame
because walking slowly up and down just 200 steps every day
during the working week can burn an extra 1,600 calories a month
– enough to shift 5lb in a year! Christian Mason, Fitness
Director for Holmes Place said, "Taking the stairs at the train
station instead of standing on the escalator is one of the
simplest ways to incorporate exercise into daily life. It’s easy
to follow the crowd and jostle for the escalator when, in fact,
even making this small change in your lifestyle could improve
your health, make a real significance to your weight and save
you time on your journey too".
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