Healthy Eating Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL)

The Healthy Eating Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL™) program is a lifestyle modification program that enables participants to develop lifelong healthy eating and physical activity behaviours. HEAL™ consists of 8 weekly group education and group exercise sessions as well as individual consultations pre- and post-program, plus 5 and 12-month follow-up health consultations. Each week participants undertake 1-hour of supervised group-based low to moderate intensity physical activity followed by a 1-hour group-based healthy lifestyle education class.

HEAL™ is specifically designed to assist people who are obese, are at high risk of chronic disease or who have one or more chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. People who are ready to change their behaviour will also benefit from participating in HEAL™. Such persons should be ready to start planning simple steps and take appropriate action to improve their lifestyle.

HEAL™ education and exercise sessions are facilitated by health professionals trained to support individuals who may be unfamiliar with how to make positive health and lifestyle changes or who may be unsure of how to safely take up physical activity. HEAL™ facilitators are trained and encouraged to incorporate principles of self-managed change into all their participant interactions.