NEWS FEATURE:
Health expenditure in Australia increased from $72.2 billion in 1999-2000 to $121.4 billion in 2009-2010. Australians spent $116.3 billion on health goods and services during the 2009-2010 financial year, and this amount is expected to rise in during the 2012.
This increase in health expenditure is attributed to the fact that Australian waistlines are expanding and there is an increasing demand on health goods and services.
Sally Symonds, a healthy life mentor, who has been in the fitness industry since July 2010, knows firsthand how costly being obese can be.
“I moved into the industry in 2010 when I launched my first book, 50 Steps to Lose 50kg . . . And Keep It Off,” said Symonds. “In 2002, I was a morbidly obese workaholic. I then lost 45 kilograms in 33 weeks, kept that weight off for five years, before losing another 8.5 kilograms. I have been described as “the complete weight loss package” because I’ve lost a lot, lost a little bit more, and, then, most importantly, kept it off,” she said.
“Having been “morbidly obese” — that’s the medical term for being so obese you are going to die from being overweight. I recognised that life was too short and I felt a need to fit as much in to my own life as I could,” said Symonds.
Symonds own experiences with inadequate guidance as she struggled with her weight lead to her becoming a weight loss coach.
“In terms of helping others, it is infinitesimally rewarding,” she said. “I was motivated to move into the industry and open my own weight loss coaching business by my own frustration. I feel that the health and fitness, and weight loss industries fail to really provide effective strategies to help people who are overweight.”
As a qualified wellness coach and neuro linguistic programming practitioner, Symonds believes that in order to lose weight and take charge of your life you need to have a mind and body connection.
“Throughout my work there is an emphasis on balancing the physical, practical and psychological. That’s why it works,” said Symonds. “Too much of what we read about weight loss works well in theory, but fails miserably on a practical and psychological level.”
Sally Symonds confesses that now she is fit and healthy her perfect day would consist of an equal amount of pleasure, work, and exercise.
“My perfect day would be lazy, early morning sex, followed by breakfast number one, which is usually light. Then I would do my own training, before having a bigger breakfast,” she said. “Coaching clients and writing books or articles would take up my time until lunch. After lunch, well, I would spend time lazing around the pool, complete with a swim-up bar, before more sex and a nap before dinner.”
“Of course, if a motivational speaking gig was thrown in once a week, then this would add to the perfect week.”
Symonds says that her exercise regime is varied.
“Mostly I weight train and box. I also throw in the odd pilates class now and again, and meander with my dog five days a week. She is 11, so at the pace we go this really doesn’t count as exercise,” said Symonds.
When it comes to health goods and services, Symonds recommends consulting the best authority first.
“The only expert in your life is YOU,” she said. “Only you know what is going to work best for you on a physical, practical and psychological level. It is also important to indulge in variety. Too many people do exactly the same exercises day-in and day-out or week-in and week-out. You need to be constantly challenged – both physically and mentally – in order to really reap rewards.”
