HEALTH & FITNESS


Andy Burnham to headline ukactive National Summit


Shadow health secretary and respected activity advocate Andy Burnham will return as a headline speaker for the ukac- tive National Summit 2014, one of several high-profile thought leaders due to feature. Having delivered an engaging session at


last year’s summit, Burnham is back for the London event on November 13, entitled: ‘Steps to solving inactivity’. He will offer del- egates an insight into Labour’s health plans and election manifesto, with an empha- sis on how his party intends to shape its policies to incorporate physical activity. Other speakers include PHE’s Professor


Kevin Fenton and Ipsos Mori’s Bobby Duffy. Details: http://lei.sr?a=A9J9u


Fitness First plans German sale


Fitness First is in talks to sell its 80 health clubs in Germany as the business bids to hasten its transformation and Asian expansion, Leisure Opportunities understands. Corporate finance firm


Lincoln International is advising the Oaktree Capital- owned gym chain on disposal of its German arm – specu- lated to be worth around £200m. Several parties have expressed interest in the portfolio, which has 300,000 members and EBITDA of around €30m per annum. A deal is expected to be con- cluded by January 2015. Te Germany clubs represent the compa-


CEO Andrew Cosslett is leading an extensive transformation


ny’s last European portfolio outside of the UK – following the offload of its 91 clubs across France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to Dutch operator HealthCity in 2010/11 – and their sale marks the final act in Fitness First’s shiſt towards being a UK, Australia and Asia-focused business. The capital expected from the Germany deal will allow the chain to speed up its £270m


Teyers has worked in Dubai and New Zealand


LA fitness appoints Sam Theyers new head of fitness


LA fitness has promoted Sam Teyers to the role of national head of fitness. Teyers, who has been with LA fitness


since April 2013, took up his new role on 1 October, aſter enjoying a successful year as regional sales manager for the south. He has been in the fitness industry


for nearly 15 years, starting as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor with Les Mills in his native New Zealand. Teyers also boasts a raſt of qualifications: a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise Prescription, Management and Sports Science as well as Level 3 Diplomas in Sports Nutrition, Nutritional Terapy and Life Coaching. Theyers will be leading the training


team at LA fitness, reporting directly into COO Arthur McColl. He will be instru- mental in introducing and training the teams across the business to ensure the business delivers an enhanced fitness experience to its members with the latest training techniques and trends. He is also managing the roll out of key new product developments and classes across the chain. Details: http://lei.sr?a=P7W6c


4 British Bake Off ‘to blame’ for rising obesity


TV shows like the phenomenally success- ful Te Great British Bake Off are fuelling a culture of junk food ubiquity, resulting in soaring levels of obesity, according to the CEO of Les Mills UK Keith Burnet. In response to a recent Cambridge


University study which found that eating healthily costs three times as much as con- suming unhealthy food in the UK, Burnet said shows like Bake Off are leading con- sumers towards unhealthy lifestyles. “I would agree that we can’t blame the


individuals for not being educated in cook- ing and preparing healthy meals and food ideas,” he told Leisure Opportunities. “Simply switch on the TV and you’ll be


greeted with hours of cookery programmes featuring calorific and unhealthy foods, cooked in a way that will see the pounds pile on; Te Great British Bake Off is a case in point.” Almost 10 million viewers tuned in to


watch the baking show’s fiſth series finale in October, with the programme credited as sparking a renaissance in cake making. Burnet added that “we don’t need to just


point the finger” at presenters Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. He called on the government


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital Bake Off presenter Mary Berry is the ‘Queen of Cakes’


to review the practices of the food companies and supermarkets to ensure that a healthy diet is affordable for every household. “Te pricing structure of non-processed


foods, fresh fruit and vegetables needs to be reduced whilst the price of the unhealthy and processed foods should increase,” Burnet added. “It really is that simple. And maybe Paul Hollywood should swap the roll- ing pins for a barbell from time-to-time.” Details: http://lei.sr?a=q2T3t


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2014


global makeover, which has already brought encouraging revenue results to a number of its city health clubs. Te funds will also serve to expedite Fitness First’s major expansion in Asia – where it aims to open up to 50 new clubs in five years – and support R&D ahead of the chain’s planned forays into the technology sector, with a digital platform for fitness and nutrition expected to be announced in Q1 2015. Details: http://lei.sr?a=F2j9m


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