National Obesity Awareness Week: Building healthy habits through Think Real

UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), Sport England, Team GB and ParalympicsGB, launched the Think Real education programme back in September, aiming to tackle the growing problem of inactive lifestyles and health issues among young people in the UK.

Just over three months on from the launch, the programme is being used by teachers, youth leaders and coaches across the country, to support young people in making healthy, informed decisions across recovery, healthy habits and fuel.

And with National Obesity Awareness Week taking place this week, now is a great time to focus on the ‘healthy habits’ and ‘fuel’ strands of the Think Real programme.

Here are the top tips from Think Real.

Building healthy habits:

• Set yourself achievable and fun goals when trying to build healthy habits. This way, you will be able to track your progress and make the process more fun for you and those involved.

• Keep note of daily (or weekly) positives. It can be hard to see small improvements when measuring against a big goal, so make sure to make note of small achievements to see how far you have come.

• Keep away from quick fixes. A healthy, balanced lifestyle is maintained by a continuing determination to make good choices. It is an individual, ongoing process, not a quick fix.

Fuelling your body:

• Have a varied diet that is right for your body. Ensure you have plenty of foods from different food groups, so your body and immune system can secure the nutrients it requires.

• Keep hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids without too much (or any) sugar, such as water and milk.

• Take a food-first approach to your diet rather than turning to quick fixes, such as supplements. 

You can read more about the Think Real programme and download resources here.