More than half the adults in South Africa are overweight. If you are overweight, losing weight and making healthier food choices is crucial to better health, as obesity is associated with an alarming number of diseases...

Where to start

Weigh yourself and check your body mass index. If you are overweight, aim to lose weight. Don't be tempted by quick-fix faddy diets. The best way to keep weight off is to lose it slowly and sensibly.

Don’t cut out, cut down. Instead of banning biscuits from the house, for example, allow yourself one in the morning and one in the evening instead of eating half the packet.

Learn what portion sizes look like. For example, a serving of cheese should be about the size of a matchbox, a serving of meat the size of the palm of your hand. While what you eat is obviously a very important part of the equation, even very healthy food, like wholegrain bread, oily fish and pasta, when eaten to excess, is fattening.

Reduce your use of oil or fat in cooking. You can substitute water, tomato juice or white wine — with a dash of soy sauce — for oil in pan frying.

Go easy with fat-laden condiments and sauces, like mayonnaise, oily salad dressings, rich or creamy sauces and gravy.

Trim visible fat from meat, and don't eat the skin of meat or fish. Opt for leaner cuts, such as back bacon rather than streaky, chicken breast rather than leg…

Don't forgo dairy products, as these are the richest source of calcium, which has an essential role in muscle contraction and in metabolism. It's also vital in maintaining bone health, as calcium is a component of bone. Go for low-fat versions instead.

Get moving

Despite myriad campaigns and initiatives, we South Africans still aren't getting off the couch nearly often enough to benefit our health. Obesity is such a fast-growing problem in this country. But we remain sedentary at our peril: Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of a number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes — as well as the risk of premature death.

Stop and think before you make a journey. Could you walk it or bike it instead of driving or using public transport? If it will take under 10 to 15 minutes to get there, then the answer is yes!

Be more aware of how you use your body. Bend your knees when you pick up heavy objects, sit at your desk properly and try to keep your tummy pulled in and shoulders back and down.

Find a fitness goal that you can work towards. It could be something as simple as being able to walk up all seven flights of stairs at work, or entering a charity fun run.

Think of a sport or fitness activity you loved as a child — perhaps netball or judo, cross country running or ballet — and find somewhere that you can give it a go again. It may rekindle your enthusiasm.

Avoid labour-saving devices in and outside the home, like the remote control, the food processor, the lifts and escalators, the shopping home-delivery service — even the 'no-scrub' bathroom cleaning fluid!

Invest in a pedometer (you can get one for a few pounds) and monitor your steps for a full day. The goal is to reach 10 000 steps per day, but if you are like most Brits, your total may be closer to half of that. Aim to build up by 200 steps per day.

Drink more fluids

Many of us spend a lot of time in a state of 'hypo' hydration. We're not officially dehydrated but just slightly under-hydrated. This can make you feel sluggish, impair mental function and increase the risk of constipation. It also doesn't do wonders for your complexion.

Keep a bottle of water handy — on your desk, in your bag or in the car — you'll be surprised how often you take a sip from it.

Drink a cup of water for every cup of tea or coffee you drink. Swap sugary fizzy drinks for sparkling water. Don't drink too many diet drinks — the acid in them is harmful to teeth and there is still controversy over the safety of the artificial sweeteners they contain.

Swap at least some of your caffeinated beverages for decaffeinated ones. Caffeine is a diuretic, meaning it makes the body shed water. 'Water-processed' decaffeinated coffee is free from chemicals and much tastier.

Monitor the colour of your urine. If you are adequately hydrated, it should be the colour of pale straw. Dark urine, infrequently passed, is a sure sign of dehydration.

Watch the booze

Excess drinking has become so much part of our culture that many of us barely notice we are doing it leading to alarming increases in alcohol-related diseases from cirrhosis of the liver to heart problems, stroke, obesity, some cancers and alcohol-related accidents. Stick to the recommended amounts and you can enjoy alcohol without harming your health.

Don't get involved in 'rounds'. You often end up drinking just because it's been bought for you, even though you already feel you've had enough.

Don't drink alcohol when you are thirsty. Make your first drink a large soft one, otherwise you will gulp it down too quickly. And don't drink on an empty stomach — either drink with food or eat before you go out.

For more information on healthy lifestyle visit www.wellatpfizer.co.za