A guide to being fit and healthy

It doesn't take much to be fit and healthy.  A healthy stable eating pattern and regular exercise are all you need to get a healthier and more active lifestyle for life.

In the UK an estimated one in four 11 to 15 year olds are overweight or obese - and the problem is growing every year.  It is thought that most children put on excess weight because their lifestyles include an unhealthy diet and a lack of physical activity.

If you are overweight you don't need to go on a diet, but you should make three simple changes:

• A healthy well-balanced diet

• A positive eating habit

• Daily physical activity

Eating healthily means feeling healthy. A healthy diet helps you to fight illness and reduce the risk of medical conditions including heart disease and some cancers.

Eating regularly, avoiding snacks and taking time to eat all contribute to allowing your food to digest properly, reduce intake of bad foods and make food part of your life, not the focus of it.

Daily physical activity can reducing health problems, can make you look and feel better, can give you confidence and most importantly, can be fun. 

If you are worried or depressed about your weight discuss the issue with your GP, practice nurse, youth worker or school nurse. They will be able to give them information on healthy eating or local support groups.