Fitness to tackle diabetes

By Shaun Inguanzo
A DANDENONG businesswoman believes she has the right recipe to tackle the city’s rapidly growing diabetes epidemic.
Wendy MacDonald has been a nutritionist for more than eight years and after 18 months spent managing Healthy Inspirations in Scott Street, Dandenong, she bought the business.
Ms MacDonald said Healthy Inspirations helped transform eating and exercise patterns for women with health complications, or who are simply in search of a healthier lifestyle.
But in recent months, Ms MacDonald has noticed that almost half of the business’ new members have been suffering from type two diabetes, a metabolic disease spurred by a combination of poor nutrition and lack of exercise.
She this week revealed Healthy Inspirations was battling the epidemic by working with local GPs to receive patients diagnosed with type two diabetes, and showing them a healthier way of life.
In November, Diabetes Australia Victoria (DAV) revealed that Greater Dandenong ranked in the top five metropolitan areas rife with type two diabetes diagnoses, with more than 5000 reported cases.
More alarming, Ms MacDonald said, was the number of undiagnosed cases.
“The sad thing is they tend to come to us after they’ve been diagnosed,” she said.
“What I am trying to get out there is to make women more aware of their own bodies and health before diabetes occurs.
“It’s all about being proactive.”
Ms MacDonald said she hoped her work with women would filter through to their families’ eating and exercise patterns.
“The thing is that a lot of mature-age women, many who are mothers, don’t have the knowledge of healthy nutrition,” she said.
“Teenage children going through that lifestyle follow the same patterns as their parents.
“I would also like to go out to local secondary colleges to speak about nutrition.”
And while the epidemic may be bringing customers through the door, Ms MacDonald said Healthy Inspirations ideally wanted to help women take control of their health before problems arose.
“It is about making people accountable,” she said. “Their health is their life and they should take ownership of it. It shouldn’t just be about us fixing something.”
Ms MacDonald said healthy eating and exercise could be more costly than an unhealthy alternative.
But she said the cost of an unhealthy lifestyle would be seen in the future.
“Down the track to be unhealthy will cost you more than just money – it could be years or months of your life,” she said. “I truly believe you are what you eat.”