With Aussie Father’s Day arriving on Sunday 4th, the shops and catalogues are full of pressies for Dad’s. There are the typical socks and jocks (underwear) and loads and loads of chocolate treats. But I hope you’re thinking about an active pressie for Dad – fishing rod, mountain bike, golf club? My Mr Surfer Dude Hubby is getting something for his boys boat charter trip to Sumatra….sshhhh. Oh and you may want to consider some cooking lessons too, you’ll see the reasons why below. And if you’re a bloke reading this and looking for advice to cinch an inch, we have some good news for you too:
About our expert
Nicole Senior is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist, author, consultant and food lover. She loves turning complex nutrition science into language everyone understands. Her latest book is Belly Busting for Blokes (New Holland, $24.95). For more information and recipes go to www.bellybusting.com.au
Aussie blokes are a diverse lot but the majority have one thing in common: they’ve lost the battle of the bulge. Six-pack abs have given way to the whole keg and the big belly has become the norm. Despite the fact that women worry more about their weight, there are actually more men above their ideal weight: two-thirds of Aussie blokes are carrying excess baggage. Their bellies grow as they get older, so much so that a slim older man is hard to find: only 1 in 4 men over 55 are in the healthy weight range. There are a lot of trousers being tossed out from wardrobes and a lot of blokes who can’t see their toes (and if the Shane Jacobsen Jenny Craig ad is to be believed, can’t bend over to tie their shoe laces either). You can find out more about Australia’s obesity stats here.
What’s so wrong with a big belly?
Isn’t it just more bloke to hug? Well, no. Besides looking untidy in clothes, a big belly carries significant risks to health. Fat stored in the abdomen increases the risks of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bowel cancer and the BBQ-stopper … erectile dysfunction. This is because the blood vessels supplying the penis can become clogged in a similar way to the vessels in the heart. This distressing problem is far too common and affects large numbers of men whom we don’t consider old. Forty percent of men in their forties experience erectile dysfunction and the problem increases with each decade up to 60% of men in their sixties. In younger men, a big belly messes with their manhood as well as it decreases testosterone levels and handicaps their swimmers (reduces sperm quality). Belly-busting helps all these health problems currently spoiling men’s quality of life. You can find out more about men’s reproductive health here.
So why are blokes copping the brunt of the obesity epidemic?
Besides being caught up in the fattening environment we all live in, men are at a disadvantage because of their food knowledge gap and because many can’t (or don’t) cook. While some men are becoming more involved in food and cooking, most still have a lot of catching up to do. Most blokes aren’t that engaged with food (cooking or shopping for it) and just eat what they’re given, or whatever is close to hand. They don’t realise common snacks they eat contain as many kilojoules (calories) as a meal, or that the typical pub meal is better suited to a manual labourer than an office worker. They rely on restaurants, cafes and take-away and we all know health isn’t a priority for them. Blokes need to learn more about food and conquer the kitchen to bust their belly.
If the Aussie bloke is to retain his physical prowess, his manhood and his pride, he’s got to bust his belly. The first step is to talk about it. The second is to fix the food knowledge gap and the third is to conquer the kitchen. Oh, and support from his family and his mates are important: no man is an island.
Blokes, these 5 steps are for you …
5 steps to bust your belly
- Choose top quality fuel. You get out what you put in, and you deserve the best.
- Don’t overfill your tank (if you do, go easy on food the next day). There’s no sugar-coating it: you need to eat less, however you can get the hunger monster off your back with protein and low GI carbs.
- Get your fuel mix right. You need it balanced to give you the right mix of power and endurance.
- Put some miles on the clock. Your body was designed to move and parking it indoors is a fast track to seizing up and becoming a wreck
- Put your brain into gear. Make the commitment and shift your into action. Focus on the positive and set realistic goals. A confident bloke is an unstoppable one!
Editor’s comment:
Thanks Nicole. Congrats to you and Veronica on the book. You’ve created an excellent guide for the boys in a humorous, practical way. Getting started with weight loss is one of the hardest steps, but I admire how many blokes just get on with it, once motivation kicks in. While blokes may not have as intimate a relationship with cooking as women, times are changing thanks to the popularity of the celebrity chef. There are some great cooking classes for blokes around town that are beyond the BBQ. I also love how blokes embrace physical activity and tend to not get as caught up in typical female hangups around emotions and food. How about you readers? Do you have a bloke that needs a nudge? Or perhaps you’re a man with a plan or a success story? Maybe you have a question for Nicole? We have signed copy of Nicole’s book for a lucky random winner and will ship internationally. Competition open until 5pm AEST 7 Sept. We’d love to hear your comments below.
