Fighting Fit At Fifty

As the country braces for a lockdown winter, seize the moment to become the fittest you can be – after all age is just a number

- David Chedgy

Over recent months you will have read, or heard about, the link between obesity and type 2 diabetes and a higher chance of requiring hospital treatment for Covid-19 and potentially dying from it.

A number of doctors have also suggested that diet experts have wrongly been targeting women about their weight issues over the years, as it is men who are truly “deluded” over their excess weight. Michael Moseley’s recent Channel 4 series Lose a stone in 21 days targeted viewers who have gained weight during the lockdown. It revealed that men are more likely to lie to themselves about carrying extra pounds. Research shows that only 10% of people who are obese know they are overweight, but that the figure is only 7% for men.

Scientific data clearly shows that obese people are significantly more likely to become seriously ill and be admitted to intensive care with Covid-19, compared to those with a healthy BMI.

I firmly believe that fitness and health should no longer be an aspiration, but a requirement. For the sake of the individual and society (as well as the NHS), losing that beer belly or those love handles and achieving a healthy weight could be a life saver.

I’m certainly not advocating the narcissistic Love Island view of turning everyone into preening muscle-bound gym bunnies. But what this current global pandemic has taught us is that the happy medium of enjoying life, but in a healthy, thoughtful way – both individually and collectively – makes us stronger.

So, how can you stay fit, particularly as you get older?