Shannan Ponton blames parents for worsening obesity rates
Fitness guru and celebrity trainer Shannan Ponton says obesity is down to Australia’s ‘soft society’ as he reveals the simple tip to get people on the path to a healthier lifestyle.
Manly
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Fitness guru Shannan Ponton has warned Australia’s worsening obesity problem is due to a “soft society”.
The 46-year-old made famous for his role on the TV show The Biggest Loser blamed his generation of parents for being overweight themselves and for passing on bad habits.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found in 2017 to 2018, 31 per cent of adults were obese, an increase from 19 per cent in 1995.
The northern beaches is regarded as one of the fittest and healthiest areas in Australia, but new figures out last week from the Sydney North Health Network revealed more than one in five adults on the northern beaches are obese.
“I’m seeing heaps of kids from the age of 14 needing help to lose weight,” Mr Ponton, who trains people at Harbord Diggers in Freshwater, said.
“In my mind it’s cruel to grow overweight teenagers.
“If you are an overweight teenager the odds are you will struggle with weight for the rest of your life.”
He said parents needed to stop eating the wrong foods and start feeding themselves and their children, nutritious meals.
“The obesity levels are an example of a soft society,” Mr Ponton, of Curl Curl, said.
“People my age who have kids need to set a better example.
“The bad habits are being passed down from generation to generation.
“For example I don’t have soft drinks in my house.
“No kid needs 10 teaspoons of sugar in their drink.”
He also recommended that people looking to lose weight should ignore all the latest hype and misinformation on social media.
He said HIIT training, which involves intense periods of training, was the latest fad.
But if people just ate less and committed to walking 20 minutes five times a week they would see a difference.
“There’s a lot of apathy,” Mr Ponton said.
“People need to commit and stick to exercise and a calorie controlled diet.
“Do not underestimate the power of just moving your body.
“Do not get hung up on details.”
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare said excess weight, especially obesity, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some musculoskeletal conditions and some cancers.
Mr Ponton said he had teamed up with P’Nut Street Noodles in Dee Why, to create two healthy dishes The Lean N’ Keen and The Energiser, designed to help guests reach their health and fitness goals, while raising money for cancer research.
Each time a guest purchases one of Mr Ponton’s dishes, $1 is donated to Cure Cancer, funding cancer research, until December 2.