I have vowed to take my New Year’s resolution early – to get in shape and try and eat better.
If – like me – you’re constantly rushing from one place to the next, you’ll know it’s difficult to stay on top of it all.
You’ll grab something convenient to eat before moving to the next client or meeting, and by the end of the day you’re too exhausted to think about exercise.
But image in business is very important. Sometimes you’re forced to make snap judgements about people and all you have to go on is appearance.
If someone is out of shape and uncomfortable in their body, their confidence may be affected and they will emit a negative energy.
Eating properly and staying on top is a vital element of business.
If you’re unhealthy and getting the wrong sort of nutrition, your body will suffer and you’re more likely to feel ill or depressed.
World Health Organisation statistics show that 66 percent of the UK population is overweight and 30 percent are obese.
Almost 18 million working days are lost in Britain each year, the vast majority of which are because of bad lifestyle habits and associated physical and mental health problems.
The cost of sick days runs into billions for the UK economy, but this can be easily rectified by a change in diet.
Many have made the link between obesity and sick days, but I recently spoke to a Scottish entrepreneur looking to turn us into a nation of fitties, not fatties.
Zander Urguhart knows the importance of staying fit for the sake of the Scottish economy.
I was impressed by his enthusiasm and drive to rid Scotland of the ‘sick man of Europe’ tag that has been getting us down for generations.
His plans to develop a network of personal trainers are already underway. He wants to get Scotland’s obesity levels to what they were 30 years ago with his SlimScotland campaign.
Zander, 35, made headlines two years ago as he implemented Wii Fit into his training programmes for clients – but now he is getting back to basics.
Realising that our health services lacked an infrastructure dedicated to healthy living and wellbeing, Zander began working with a small group of PTs from around the UK on an educational workshop.
They achieved fantastic results and recognised the potential to grow a network of personal trainers throughout the country, all dedicated to getting us in shape and improving our general wellbeing through exercise and nutrition.
Zander told me: “What people don’t realise is that 80 percent of how we look and feel is down to nutrition and 70 percent of doctor’s visits are directly linked to poor nutrition.
“The challenge for us is to develop long-term behavioural change in our lifestyle patterns and to move the mindset away from quick-fix crash dieting that rarely delivers sustainable results.
“Our results always have been incredible. People are losing unwelcome pounds and their energy levels go through the roof.
“Skin disorders are also disappearing, symptoms of IBS are decreasing, and people’s confidence is building week on week.”
With almost 20 percent of 2–15 year olds registered obese, Zander forecasts problems for the next generation.
However, he has set the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 as his target for reducing obesity levels through a programme of integrated ‘fat loss’ and nutrition education.
“It’s a big ask, but in 1984 obesity levels were around seven percent. By the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, I’m confident we can get back to that,” he claimed as we spoke last week.
It’s a bit disheartening that it took an individual to plug the gaps in our health infrastructure, but Zander has seized the initiative.
It’s a noble cause, and for the sake of saving our economy billions and helping us feel better and more motivated at work, he may have the recipe for a diet and fitness regime for all of Scotland.
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