Why Do I Need to be a Healthy Weight?

Reviewed
June 2019
This resource relates to the following topics:

This healthy weight poster for prisoners, their families and Corrections staff promotes the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. It includes information on the risks of being overweight and how to manage weight in prison.

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Details

Reviewed
June 2019
Format
Poster A2
Type
PDF download
HE code
DC1307
Language
English

The full resource:

NOTE: This Department of Corrections resource cannot be ordered from this website. All men’s prisons throughout New Zealand received hard copies of this resource in July 2013. 

Why do I need to be a healthy weight?

Being overweight can lead to heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other illnesses.

How can I manage my weight in prison?

  • Put in a health request form (health chit) to see a nurse about your weight.
  • Stick to the meals you are given. Don’t eat other people’s leftovers.
  • Make good choices about the food you buy (on your P119 purchases). The nurse can help you learn about good choices.
  • Be active every day. If you only get a short time to exercise, make it count.
  • You can exercise in your cell space. Ask custody to get someone to help you work out an exercise plan.
  • If you are going home soon, learn about what you can do to manage your weight at home.

Why do I need to be a healthy weight?

Image showing the prisoner and Corrections Officer discussing the importance of being a healthy weight. The text for this image is repeated on the resource page.

Prisoner: Just heard my uncle had a stroke. He’s only 45, and he’s got two young kids.

Corrections officer: Is he going to be OK?

Prisoner: Yep, but he’s had a fright. He has to start looking after himself – quit smoking, lose weight and stuff.

Corrections officer: What about you? You stopped smoking, but you need to lose some weight.

Prisoner: Yeah, but I can’t do much about it in here.

Corrections officer: Yes you can. And you need to. Being overweight makes you at risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and other illnesses.

LATER

Prisoner: So, what can I do?

Corrections officer: Put in a health request form to see a nurse. And I can get someone to help you work out an exercise plan. Good on you.

A FEW WEEKS LATER

Prisoner: How can I lose some weight?

Nurse: Your exercise plan is a good start. A bit of exercise every day will help you lose weight and make you feel better.

Prisoner: Yeah. I do feel better. What about food?

Nurse: Stick to your own meals. And I’ll give you information about healthy food so you can make good choices about the food you buy.