Healthy Measures

With the weather expected to warm up this weekend, now may be a good time to revisit your fitness, health and wellness goals for the summer.

As someone who is highly interested in public health and health promotion, I thought doing a series on the tips and sources I use to maintain my health, would be a good addition to The Collabo. The first Fitness Friday post coincides with information I obtained from a Healthy Measures workshop at Toronto Public Health.

The session began with showing a slide with two people on a scale...

Person A - is a 110 lb individual in comparison to Person B- who is 171 lb.

Just based on the information above who do you think is healthier?...

Although you may have made a personal conclusion on who is healthier based on weight, it is important to know more information about the individuals would actually be needed. 

Focus on behaviours rather than on weight 

Though Person A weighs less, she has poor nutrition, sedentary (inactive) and is stressed out. Whereas Person B, follows the Canada Food Guide, is active and aims for life balance.

Now who do you think is healthier?

(Person B!)

Often we tend to focus on a person's exterior and overemphasize weight. However, it is important to realize that health is not solely dependent on the numbers that appear on a scale.

Toronto Public Health's Healthy Weights Concept draws attention the various factors which contribute to being healthy. As defined by TPH Healthy Weights is the interrelationship between healthy eating, physical activity and self-esteem...

In considering each factor separately is there an area in which you would like to improve?

As these factors are interconnected, consider the impact each factor may have on the others...  

When setting goals for the summer try to keep in mind they should be individual and pertain to achieving your own 'Healthy Weight' (The goal does not have to be getting to a weight similiar to what is seen in magazines or music videos lol)

Overall the road to being healthy includes concepts of Eating Well, Being Active and Building Self-Esteem.

References:

Toronto Public Health (2011) Achieving Healthy Weights- The Healthy Way Workshop