Weight Watchers campaign explores the nation's relationship with food

Stevia and Xylitol fans may be interested in the latest campaign by Weight Watchers, 'Plate of Our Nation'. The weight management company is putting the spotlight on people's relationship with food in an attempt to tackle the obesity epidemic. Weight Watchers intends to challenge unhealthy habits that have become the norm among younger generations, such as overeating and watching too much television. "Put simply this campaign aims to bring the obesity epidemic to the fore, explaining in a simple and engaging way what's led us down this path," said Australasia managing director Joseph Saad. To kick start Plate of Our Nation, Weight Watchers conducted a survey about the eating habits of Australians. Some of the findings were concerning. For example, nearly 60 per cent of young adults admitted that their idea of cooking was heating up chicken nuggets. Furthermore, one quarter of Generation Z individuals do not cook at all because they do not know how. Older Australians were not much better, with 72 per cent of meals eaten while doing other activities such as watching television or reading, and 43 per cent regularly overeating. The results also suggest that people need to do more exercise, with only 37 per cent making time for physical activity. Award-winning chef Pete Evans is working alongside Weight Watchers for this campaign. He believes that technology is partly to blame for our poor eating habits - life is moving at a faster pace, and our waistlines are suffering. "We’ve swapped fresh for fast, and quality for convenience, our knowledge of food and cooking skills are in decline," he said. "We're busier than ever before, but technology means that our days are filled with so much sitting - watching TV, browsing the net - what's worse, we do these things while we're eating, so we're not giving our food and mealtime[s] the respect they deserve." What are your eating habits like? Are you guilty of quickly consuming meals on-the-go or while doing something else? Do you still cook meals from scratch? It may be worth asking yourself some of these questions in light of the new Weight Watchers campaign. Making small lifestyle changes such as eating with the television turned off or making your own dinners may help you maintain a healthy weight. As Mr Evans emphasises, it's not always what we're eating but how we're eating! Explore how you can enjoy sweet treats AND maintain a healthy weight with Naturally Sweet Stevia and Xyiltol.