A school teacher from New Zealand is embarking on a 40-week nutrition and exercise programme where he will not diet but will address the underlying causes behind his poor lifestyle.
According to physical education lecturer Jeremy Hapeta, Palmerston North Boys' High School teacher Justin Doolan's anti-diet approach is aiming to improve physiological health measures, like blood pressure and fitness, and psychological aspects rather than simply to lose weight, Stuff.co.nz reported.
45-year-old Doolan spent the first half of his life as an athlete, which included nine years as a professional rugby player in Japan, but coming home for teachers' college in 1999 resulted in his abs turning to flab.
And before he knew an extra 50kg crept on to his body.
The "anti-diet" programme developed by physical education lecturer Jeremy Hapeta, management lecturer Andrew Dickson, human nutrition lecturer Jasmine Thomson and human development lecturer Cat Pause, addresses nutrition, exercise, attitudes about health and acceptance of fatness.
Thomson said that Doolan would be encouraged to change his relationship with exercise and food, including retraining himself to realise when he was hungry or full.