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NUTRITION & HEALTH


choices available, it’s by no means clear that the predicted effects would occur.”


EDUCATING THE INFLUENTIAL But whatever the approach at a national level, what can individual gym operators do about any of this? According to Stalker, one of the most important steps health clubs can take to alert the public to the potential dangers of sugar is to focus more on member education. “Sugar is complicated, and part of the problem is that not everyone understands how the refined sugar that’s added to food is different from the sugar in a piece of fruit, or how that’s different from the sugar in a juice or smoothie,” he says. “To really become wellness hubs, health clubs need to look at upskilling fitness professionals so they’re able to give good advice on nutritional issues like this, as well as on physical activity.” But can this kind of ‘nudging’ really


make a difference when up against the marketing spend of Big Food? Stalker believes so. “OK, we don’t have the marketing budget in this sector to compete with what the food companies are doing,” he says. “But we are getting a lot more national press coverage encouraging people to make healthy lifestyle changes, and those people need somewhere they can go to get professional guidance – not just on how to do a press-up but also on how they can eat well.” Mills adds: “It’s important to remember


that we have some of society’s most affluent and influential people coming to our facilities too, and that’s a very important group to educate. If you educate these people, you can start to


Health clubs should aim to eliminate junk foods from their F&B operations


change society. Once they understand the issues, they will not only be motivated to change their own behaviour but they can also help us to lobby government on these issues.” However, one issue that currently


makes it harder for the fitness industry to take the high ground are health clubs’ own food and beverage offerings. Mills does not mince his words: “It’s completely wrong for a health facility to be selling junk food. And unfortunately a lot of the sports supplements and sports drinks still have a lot of sugar in them. I think it’s a disgrace. The supplements industry has to start making healthier products.” Stalker is somewhat more forgiving. “When I’m talking to the government or the health sector, I’m conscious our record of selling sugar-rich products leaves us a little exposed. But I understand that health clubs are businesses, and that food and beverage is an important part of the profit margin. What I will say is that it’s important to offer healthy options alongside those other choices.”


TALKING IT OVER For the time being, then, the debate over the perils of sugar looks set to continue. The body of evidence that sugar is indeed the single greatest contributor to chronic disease appears to be growing. Nevertheless, there’s not yet a consensus on this point in the international scientific and medical communities, with many experts arguing that the key to improving global health outcomes remains tackling obesity through the simple equation of calories in/calories out. And while most health commentators agree that over- consumption of sugar is an issue, there appears to be just as much conflict about how to tackle the problem. What is certain is that these questions


are not going to go away, and if the health and fitness industry wants to be taken seriously as a player in the modern health paradigm, we need to be at the debating table. As Stalker says: “We can only become a priority sector by talking in the same language as the medical community, and that includes becoming more knowledgeable about nutrition.” l


To really become wellness hubs,


health clubs need to look at up- skilling fitness


professionals so they can give good advice on


nutritional issues Operators could be doing more to educate their members on health and nutrition 46 Take part in the Health Club Management reader survey: www.surveymonkey.com/s/NQDN2R6 November/December © cybertrek 2012


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