Weight loss programs working
Australia has the unenviable title of the most overweight nation in the world but Glen Innes residents have shown positive signs towards proving this wrong.
Graydon's Amcal Chemist and Timbs Pharmacy run weight loss programs based on meal substitutions. Regular weigh-ins have produced pleasing results.
"We started our program in October last year and had 55 people stay on it with a total of 475kgs lost. "It is based on a very low calorie diet and used to be used for those wanting to lose weight before heart surgery.
"They are hungry to begin with but tend to get used to it after a few days. It has all the vitamins and minerals needed to get through the day," Timbs pharmacist Angela Landers said.
Hunter New England Health dietician Ailsa Liffman provides visiting services at the Community Centre and said while substitute diets could produce positive short term results it was important for a person to have the right lifestyle to maintain the change.
"Short-lived programs or diets have limited success in the long term, but a changed lifestyle lasts forever, she said.
"The next step for healthy weight loss is to set some short and long-term goals for weight management. Glen Innes resident Tony Snow has demonstrated this as he has maintained his goal weight after finishing the weight loss program at Graydon's Amcal Chemist. He was on the diet for 11 weeks during which time he lost 15kgs and 12weeks after returning to full meals has maintained his weight.
Mr Snow said that he has noticed a clear change in his health since losing the weight.
"I was on blood pressure pills and after I had lost 10kgs it had dropped and was actually low. I had to take a half dosage for a month and was then taken off them completely. My health is completely different. "I had perfect health when the doctor checked it again and it is the best health I have ever been in."
JAMIE FAKES
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