Inside Golf, Australia. June 2014 | Page 60

fitness Weighing in on your fitness greater than 30. Richard Nizielski [email protected] 0438 027 768 G eneral health and fitness can affect the way we play golf. More so though, our general wellness and our day-to-day living, should be a greater concern. One area in particularly is overweight and obesity issues. Here are few quick facts, which you may or may not already know, regarding excessive body weight. • Based on Body Mass Index (BMI), 3 in 5 Australians are overweight • 1 in 4 Australian children are overweight or obese • Overweight and obesity is only beaten by smoking and high blood pressure as a contributor to burden of disease Overweight or obese people have higher rates of death and illness than people of healthy weight, both overall and from a range of specific conditions. These include; cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, psychological problems and reproductive problems for women. If you do feel you are at risk or need professional advice on your health, then it is best to consult a doctor and have a full health assessment. For two quick and easy tests you can do yourself to assess if you may be at risk, then use these