FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         9^th January 2003

Put Your Body Back in Balance?

Have you noticed that your clothes seem a little tighter following all the Festive Season revelry? Has "lose weight" reappeared on your New Years resolutions (and looking a bigger challenge than last year)? What are the first steps to take?

Nutrition Australia has developed the following checklist to help you to make any appropriate changes:

• I eat 5 x ½ cup servings of different vegetables per day

• I have 2-3 pieces of fruit per day

• I drink at least 6 cups of water per day

• I use high fibre bread and breakfast cereals

• I have low fat milk, cheese or low fat yoghurt every day

• I have a palm size amount of meat or a vegetarian alternative such as kidney beans, every day

• I always trim the fat off my meat

• I use olive or canola based margarines and oils sparingly and whenever possible I do not use fatty spreads - avocado spread on bread or salad sandwiches without any spread are good choices

• I use the stairs whenever possible

• I look for a parking space as far as possible from where I want to go

• I walk over to change the channel on the television/ or adjust the volume on the stereo

So, how did you go? Are you giving yourself the best chance for achieving great health into 2003? Nutrition Australia aims to help you in your quest for fitness this year through their annual Nutrition Week campaign with this year's theme being "Energy - Balancing Food and Fitness". Nutrition Australia publications such as "Weight for a Change", "Food and Fitness for Men", and "Food and Fitness for Women" offer successful strategies for balancing food and activity levels and improving fitness.

As a nation, Australians are getting fatter - around the rate of 1kg more per year. It is estimated that by 2010, 70% of Australians will be above their healthy weight range."

"As technology continues to take more of the physical effort out of daily living we need to seek out opportunities to put some activity back in!" said Ms Hourigan.

Research from the US has shown that you need to do 10,000 steps a day if you want to use walking as a way of improving your fitness.

"The good news is that not all the 'steps' need to happen at one time. It would seem that doing three short bursts of walking, lasting 10 minutes each, over a whole day can offer a similar benefit to a 30 minute walk*. (*approx 4,000 steps). Build it into your day by: taking stairs instead of elevators and escalators; looking for the furthest not the closest parking space possible; deliver your internal office messages in person rather than by email."

If you are considering a 'new eating plan' for 2003 - ask yourself if this new food plan would be healthy to maintain long term and if you truly enjoy the food tastes included in your new food plan .
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For further information and story opportunities please contact:

Aloysa Hourigan Nutrition Australia Queensland Division
Phone: (07)3257 4393 Fax: (07) 32574616 Mobile 0417 078 956
Email: qld@NutritionAustralia.org

George Angelos Nutrition Australia NSW Division
Phone 02 4221 5346 Fax 02 4221 5717 Email nsw@NutritionAustralia.org