Meg urges Hackney to get Healthy

Cancer and heart disease are the two biggest killers in Hackney. Meg is launching a campaign to get Hackney healthy and reduce the risk.

Half of all cancers could be prevented by changes to lifestyle according to Cancer Research.

An unhealthy diet is the second biggest lifestyle risk factor after smoking. Around a third of all cancer deaths in the UK can be attributed to obesity, unhealthy diets and alcohol.

Meg is encouraging people to take steps to improve their life chances.

Meg said, ‘As someone who’s lost over 2 stone of weight, I know the bad habits – and that the good habits make all the difference.’

If you are overweight, losing just 5-10 per cent of your body weight and keeping it off will have a positive effect on your health.

Meg’s five step plan to reduce the risk:

 Check the label before you buy food – ‘Traffic-light’ labelling has been adopted by lots of retailers making it easier to choose a healthy diet.

 Try taking the stairs instead of the lift – 5000 steps a day extra will burn 1240 calories.

 Aim for five portions of fruit and veg a day – A medium sized apple or banana is 1 portion

 Go for reduced fat versions – change to semi-skimmed milk and save 60 calories a day (based on consuming 300mls per day)

 Go easy on the booze – A standard pint of beer has 182 calories.