It’s official, being overweight increases the risk of hospitalisation or death from coronavirus. Boris has lost a stone and a half and he is encouraging us all to do the same! Easier said than done I hear you cry!  But why should Boris have all the fun?

I think it might be good craic to apply the hierarchy of risk control to shed the extra lockdown pounds. Here’s how it goes. Think of one food or beverage choice that you make regularly that might be adding significantly to your calorie intake.  An example may be a sharing bag of giant Cadbury’s chocolate buttons which cost us a whopping 536 kcals. You can apply the following principles for whatever food or drink is standing in your way to a healthy and slim physique!

• Eliminate - Don’t buy them at all – If you haven’t got them, you can’t eat them! Happy days, 536 kcals avoided!
• Reduce - If your need for chocolate is causing you anxiety, opt for a Cadbury light mousse and enjoy 60 kcals instead! 476 kcals less and you are giving Boris a run for his money!
• Prevent Contact - If you have already purchased them and can’t find it in your heart to throw them out, then keep them somewhere out of reach. Another handy tip is, when the longing for chocolate become unbearable, paint your nails, this gives you about twenty minutes for them to dry by which time you may have got over the notion and your nails are lovely. Might not suit the boys though!
• Safe System of Work - Get the fridge and larder organised so that the delicious, healthy options are in full view when you gaze in.  If the chocolate buttons are at the front, it is very tempting to gobble them up and hide the wrapper! 
• P.P.E. - We have heard a lot about PPE during the pandemic and it is the last consideration on the hierarchy of control because it depends on it being available and for human beings to use it! However, I promise you, if all else fails and you don your face mask, it will be virtually impossible to suck a chocolate button through it!

There are fortunate people, who don’t gain unwanted pounds no matter what they eat, however choosing healthy food and doing moderate daily exercise will reduce our risk of being hospitalised (or worse) with COVID-19. We will look and feel better, and will adopt lifestyle choices that will enhance our lives. If Boris can do it, then so can you!  I hope there will never be a second wave of COVID-19, however, adopting healthy lifestyle choices may reduce the severity of the virus should we be unlucky enough to catch it.