According to research carried out by Hibernian Aviva Health, 51 per cent of people in Mayo are found to be overweight or dangerously overweight. The research also reveals that 48 per cent of people on a nationwide basis are overweight and almost a quarter of all adults do no physical exercise. According to the research findings, there is a clear gender bias to these results with 61 per cent of males versus 39 per cent of females reportedly being overweight.
The research also highlighted that on average 24 per cent of the adult population do no exercise at all. In addition to having obvious weight management benefits the impact of exercise is far broader ranging. It has been established that physical inactivity is a major contributing factor to heart disease and increases the risk of colon cancer, further demonstrating the importance of regular exercise.
Heart disease is the number one killer in Ireland with approximately 10,000 people dying each year from cardiovascular disease, accounting for 36 per cent of all deaths.
If you are overweight, it is the location of where your body stores the extra weight that can affect your risk of suffering from heart disease. A healthy waist measurement for a woman is less than 80cms/32 inches and for a man is less than 94cms/37 inches. If your waist circumference is larger than this, you should consider a weight loss programme immediately.
Hibernian Aviva Health is looking out for the health of its customers by offering the following advice: Take at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on five days a week. Examples of moderate intensity exercise includes brisk walking, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, general gardening, brisk vacuum cleaning, tennis, and cycling slower than 10 miles per hour. Follow the food pyramid to eat a balanced healthy diet. This includes six servings of breads and cereals, five portions of fruit and vegetables, three servings of dairy products, and two servings of meat, fish, poultry, eggs or pulses. Use 1oz of low fat spread each day. Use oils sparingly. Avoid high fat snacks or limit them to small amounts on an infrequent basis. Alcohol should be used in moderation and preferably during meal times. Have some alcohol free days.
