Letters
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We’re not weight loss centres, but we help people lose weight
I was left very frustrated after watching the recent BBC documentary The Men Who Made Us Thin.
First of all, I felt the reporter seemed to have it in for the gym business in this very one-sided, confusing report. The reporter was trying to get across the point that exercise was not at all effective as a way of losing weight or preventing obesity. Is the BBC saying that doing no exercise will in fact make you thinner? I think a response to the report by the fitness industry is needed, so we can give our side of the story.
The government on the one hand spends millions of pounds on TV ads telling us all to get more active, to help prevent us getting fatter as a nation, and then the BBC comes up with a documentary that tells us not to bother, and that exercise doesn’t work in the battle against weight loss.
As those of us in the fitness industry have realised for some time now, exercise is not the magic bullet to weight loss – of course exercise will not bring about weight loss without some control of calorific intake. However, for the vast majority of normal people working out in our clubs, their daily workout expends an important amount of calories, helping them to maintain an energy balance which in turn keeps their weight constant – which in turn helps protect their health.
No wonder the public are confused! We, as a industry, need to respond to this kind of journalism.
Rod Hill, Director, Anytime Fitness Iberia
We want to live to be 90 – but how do we live it well?
Pew Research recently surveyed American attitudes on living to 120 and beyond, and found that 69 per cent of respondents wanted to live until somewhere between 79 and 100 years of age; 90 was the median ideal life span.
If that’s the case, we must change the way we age to extend our years of healthy life. But how? My tips as follows:
Anticipate success: Research has shown that people who think positively about getting older may live as much as 7.5 years longer than those who view this stage of life negatively.
Identify an activity or connection that sparks your enthusiasm and make it your lifeline. Keep learning: explore a new area of knowledge or learn a new type of physical activity. And volunteer: research shows that volunteers have higher levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction than non-volunteers.
Eat a balanced diet and attain/maintain a normal weight, and stay physically active. If you feel depressed or lacking in energy, talk to your doctor – don’t let apathy or lethargy drag you down. In many instances, exercising and eating right can help change your mood.
Most of all, emphasise the positive and don’t let your age, or anyone, deter you.
Colin Milner, CEO, ICAA
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
