A new nutritional health coach­ing service, led by Sandra Har­vey, has opened in Brighton. It’s aimed at tackling common health problems caused by bad eating habits and not moving enough, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular dis­eases, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases.

Nutritional counselling is one sector of the health profession where a qualified nutritionist or health and wellness coach will address a client’s concerns in relation to inactivity, lack of ex­ercise, poor eating habits, over consumption of ultra processed foods and stress.

“The consensus in the commu­nity is that they view obesity as an individual problem with individual solutions. The focus on the individual gives rise to the ‘blame the victim’ approach ignoring the environment, advertising, social media, food insecurity and peer pressure,” Sandra said. “This is where the nutritional counsellor steps in and works with the client to address all those issues im­pacting weight gain and related diseases.”

Sandra understands that being overweight isn’t just about what you eat and how much you move. It’s also influenced by things like adverts, social media, and feeling insecure. She wants to help people make big lifestyle changes, not just lose weight. Sandra discuss­es your history, sets realistic goals, guides you to change your health behaviour, teaches you how to nourish your body and brain and control or even reverse some diseases.

Current weight loss drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro are expensive, long-term, have side-effects, and for some people, are high risk. Sandra believes it’s rewarding to work with a qualified professional on a journey towards better health. It takes effort, but San­dra wants to help people learn about good habits and feel supported.

It’s also important to help kids and teenagers learn good habits early on. “The community wants to see young children and adolescents participating in physical activity, eating well and nourishing their devel­oping brain. It will take the community to tackle what the World Health Organisation Ac­celeration Plan to Stop Obesity states in its 2023 report that tackling obesity is critical and urgent,” she said.

If you’re interested in getting help with your diet or improv­ing your health, you can email Sandra at sandra59harvey@gmail.com to start your journey.