As part of the City of Johannesburg Healthy Lifestyle Initiative, the City has been embarking on the second phase of Go Jozi initiative to all regions of the city to promote healthy eating, education and active living.
The second phase of the initiative took place at Newclare in Region B.
The Healthy Lifestyle Initiative was launched by the Executive Mayor, Parks Tau, on May 4 2013 at Thokoza Park, Soweto.
In the spirit of the Joburg 2040 strategy – with the slogan: “We are all players”, the initiative seeks to tackle the risk factors associated with obesity, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.
It will serve to instil a culture of healthy lifestyle choices in Johannesburg.
This is done by encouraging communities in the City of Johannesburg to eat well and exercise regularly to maintain physical fitness and mental health. Communities are also encouraged to practice good hygiene and avoid health hazards such as smoking and drinking to prevent getting ill health.
Residents are invited to participate in the initiative which will have activities such as aerobics, health screening (Diabetes, Hypertension, Cancer, HIV Testing), exhibitions and kiddies activities.
The healthy lifestyle habits like doing exercise and eating correctly from an early age are basics to preventing diseases like diabetes, hypertension and other chronic illness in adulthood.
According to the World Health Organisation press release, “the health and welfare, present and future, of children of school age are greatly conditioned by the kind of food provided and by maintaining a healthy weight”.
“The event will provide an ideal opportunity to find out about the wide range of exciting programmes the City of Johannesburg and other organisations offers to the community”, said councillor Nonceba Molwele, the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Health and Social Development Department in Johannesburg.
The Joburg’s Growth and Development Strategy among other key outcomes addresses the issue of healthy living, of which healthy lifestyle is a critical factor to be considered.
By 2040, the City of Johannesburg aims to achieve substantially enhanced quality of life for all. It envisages development initiatives that enable self-sustainability, improved health and life expectancy.
