Teacher in a health class of his own

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Teacher in a health class of his own

A Palmerston North secondary school teacher, spurred on by concerns expressed about his health by his pupils, has embarked on a revolutionary nutrition and exercise programme devised by Massey researchers.

After retiring from an 8-year professional rugby career, which took him around the world, Palmerston North Boys’ High School Year 9 Dean Justin Doolan saw his weight balloon to 158 kilograms amid alarming symptoms like chest pain and profuse sweating.

His pupils were worried. So worried that they urged him to do something about it, not just for his own sake but their peace of mind too.

“A couple of boys at the school pulled me aside and said very kindly ‘ we think you’re a great teacher but also think you’ve put on a lot of weight and are concerned about that, and want you to look after yourself and do something about it.”

At the same time a multidisciplinary team of human nutrition and sports and exercise researchers at Massey were hard at work devising an anti-diet programme based on principles of the Health at Every Size® framework. In a nutshell, it’s a new health approach that can bring improvements with physiological health measures and psychological impact - rather than weight loss.

Mr Doolan put up his hand to become the willing subject of a programme which School of Management lecturer Dr Andrew Dickson, who is no stranger to weight struggles, and Dr Jasmine Thomson from the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, Jeremy Hapeta from the School of Sport and Exercise and Human Development lecturer Dr Cat Pause’, say has advantages over traditional weight loss programmes.

“A health focused approach such as Health at Every Size® achieves positive health outcomes more successfully than weight loss treatments without the unintended consequences of food and body preoccupation, repeated cycles of weight loss and regain, reduced self esteem and other health diminishment.”

Or as Mr Doolan puts it: “It’s about [managing] eating and exercise habits and monitoring fitness through things such as walking, swimming and biking.”

He has just started his 40-week programme, which involves a variety of activities related to nutrition, exercise, attitudes about health, acceptance of fatness and understanding of health, and says his pupils have matched his enthusiasm for the project.

“Some of the boys thought I was a bit like an astronaut with all the testing, training and machines being used to monitor me,” he says.

They used to give me biscuits and chocolate but now it’s apples and bananas!”

Massey researchers say that it is important to differentiate between weight and health, and monitor biological markers that have a better relationship with health such as blood pressure and lipids- rather than weight. These can be improved with physical activity and diet independent of weight loss, Dr Thomson says.

“This programme encourages followers to change their entire relationship with food, eating and physical activity. It is about respecting your body to indicate hunger and satiety, rediscovering the pleasure of eating rather than following diet rules. It is about enjoying physical activity as a way to take care of your body rather than a weight loss tool. And finally it is about accepting and trusting your body.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media