Men’s Health in Australia

Did you know that over 62% of Australians are overweight or obese, with more than half of this number being men? Shockingly, more than a third of all premature deaths are caused by preventable chronic diseases (e.g. Diabetes, Heart Disease), many of these diseases mediated by being overweight or obese. So how can Australian men avoid being a statistic and prolong their lives further?

It has been proven that diet and exercise are important factors in improving health. Poor nutrition in Australia has been blamed on the current obesogenic environment which refers to an environment which promotes inactivity (cars versus walking) and normalising unhealthy foods by making them more available within society. As a result, Australians are now consuming nutrient poor foods which are high in energy, saturated fats, sugar and salt; consuming inadequate fruit and vegetables; and decreased physical activity by 5%. As energy intake has increased by 3-4%, without the compensatory increase in physical activity this has resulted in an increase in body weight in Australian men.

Within the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, it states that ‘to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, one needs to be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious foods and drinks to meet energy needs.’ Therefore the answer is simple- Australian men need to find that healthy balance between eating healthy and exercising to maintain a good quality of life. A balanced diet of vegetables, grain foods, fruit, lean meats and low fat dairy foods can help achieve a nutritionally adequate diet. It is also important for men to ensure they put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days as well as enjoying extra vigorous exercise such as playing a sport.

So to stop yourself from becoming the next statistic, you can contact your local dietitian or exercise physiologist at Healthy Lifestyles Australia, who will help guide you in the right direction towards better health. You may know what you need to do but do you have the support to succeed? This is how we help. Give us a call on 0730882323 for an appointment.

Accredited Practising Dietitians and Accredited Nutritionists at Healthy Lifestyles Australia