Fat Nation: The Big Challenge: Eat, think and exercise yourself to better health

This book accompanies the primetime BBC1 series Fat Nation, in which a nutritionist, an exercise guru, and a psychologist work with the residents of one Birmingham street, providing information, ideas, and motivation to help them to lose weight and learn healthy eating and activity habits to last a lifetime. The emphasis is on recognising the nationwide issue of obesity and on taking small steps towards tackling it - finding easy and inexpensive ways to eat more healthily and gradually stepping up activity levels in daily life. All the advice from the television programme will be in the book, along with more detailed information, including food "swaps", understanding food labels, eating advice for the whole family, and how diet can help with health complaints. A chapter on Staying in Shape covers diet and activity from young adulthood, through pregnancy and parenthood, and into old age. FRONT COVER CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Meet the F-team The size of the problem Why are we getting fatter? How the body puts on weight Working together Everybody's doing it Start here to change your life FILL UP OR FUEL UP? Do you need to lose weight? Eating to be the right weight Think slim Portion distortion Using portions to control weight TIME TO GET MOVING Your body-fat percentage Do you need to be more active? Being active in your daily life Start walking Setting and achieving goals Up a step Keeping on track SHOPPING FOR HEALTH Bad fridge and good fridge Let's go shopping Don't be fooled by the label Shopping for convenience foods Takeaway meals Shopping for superf oods Fish matters Healthier cooking GOOD HABITS START YOUNG The family approach Recognizing child obesity Feeding babies Feeding toddlers It's all about attitude Get children more active Teenagers on the move Children's food pyramid Weight control plan for children Lunchboxes packed with health Easy food for children Helping teenagers be healthy Teenage issues on a plate IN SHAPE FOR A LIFETIME In shape in your 20s In shape during pregnancy In shape in your 30s and 40s In shape in your 50s and 60s In shape in your 70s STAYING HEALTHY Weight gain and disease Preventing Type 2 diabetes The glycaemic index Preventing heart disease Cholesterol - friend or foe? Fats for a healthy heart Helping to prevent cancer The joint effect No smoking The alcohol question WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST? Your personal eating plan Your fitness programme The charts Index Acknowledgements Useful addresses BACK COVER Join the fight to get fit with Fat Nation and enjoy the benefits of looking good and feeling great. Meet the F-team who will help you, and the residents of the street featured in the BBC show, shed the pounds through exercise, diet and a positive mental attitude. Whether you are a busy working mum with children who refuse to eat vegetables or a twenty-something bachelor living the high-life, there is a personalised health plan profiled to suit you and your family's lifestyle. Join the national challenge and get fitter, healthier and happier - just one step at a time. Your life changes here - eat right for your weight, be more active around the house, and get family and friends to take part. Fit good health into your life with ease.