ONE of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to eat better and get healthier and Australia’s Healthy Weight Week (AHWW) is a great time for Southern Downs residents to kickstart these changes.
AHWW will be held from 16-22 February 2015 across the country.
Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service (DDHHS) director of nutrition and dietetics Welma Joubert said the aim of AHWW this year was to encourage more Australians to cook at home as a way to help achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
“If you’re looking to manage your weight, cooking at home more often can make a real difference,“ she said.
“Research shows that people who prepare food at home take in fewer kilojoules and less fat, salt and sugar and in turn, this is more likely to result in a healthy weight.
She says the main reason for this is because it gives you control over what goes in your meal.
“The other main difference is portion control,“ Ms Joubert said.
“At home we can control the amounts we plate up, meaning smaller portions, while restaurant or fast food meals are often bigger, served on large plates, and we can feel compelled to finish what’s on our plate.
“We all have some aspect of our usual eating habits that can be tweaked or improved, and it’s different for everyone.
“But with the DDHHS having 18 per cent higher rates of obesity than the rest of the state and Queensland being labelled as the ‘heaviest’ state in Australia, there’s something we can all do to ensure we maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle.“
