MELTON exercise scientist Robert Greco has always loved talking about living a healthy life, but he questions why it seems many people aren’t listening when it came to losing weight.
Wanting to change attitudes and reduce the incidence of obesity locally, he set about writing a simple guide to weight management.
The result, Why You Are Really Fat – It’s Time to Wake Up!, was released last week.
Recently released Health Department data showed 22 per cent of Melton men are obese and 43 per cent are overweight, while 24 per cent of women are obese and 24 per cent are overweight.
Both Melton and Bacchus Marsh are recognised as diabetes ‘hot spots’, where more than 4 per cent of the population have either type 1 or 2 diabetes.
While he takes a no-nonsense approach to weight management, Mr Greco doesn’t think overweight people are necessarily lazy.
He says it’s more often because they are too stressed and unbalanced, resulting in an unhealthy lifestyle.
After 10 years in the health industry, he says he continues to be inspired by the success of people who reach their ideal weight.
“Seeing people becoming empowered when they reach their goal and then going on to empower others … that’s the most rewarding part for me,” he says.
Mr Greco says that what sets his book apart from others of its ilk is its holistic approach.
“Healthy weight management is one-third what you chew, one-third what you do and one-third living true.” He says the “living true” element is the most important, and most ignored. “It’s about respecting your body and maintaining a balance in diet, sleep, relaxation and exercise.”
He says the more stressed people become, the more cortisol is released, decreasing the body’s sensitivity to leptin, which can result in increased hunger and weight gain.
“At the end of the day, you do this [gain weight] to your body; it’s not the other way around.”
