Exercise can be daunting at times. Life would be much easier if we could just ‘think’ ourselves healthy. What I’d do if I could just morph my own body through the power of thought. A hopeful squint and the twitch of a Bewitched nose and BAM, that athletic body is mine.

Now, where did I leave my granola bar?

The problem is no one – not even I – can simply ‘think’ ourselves healthy. Yet, with the growing rate of obesity across the UK in a constant uphill battle, it seems that some people are still struggling to accept there is only one true way to achieve this – exercise and healthy eating.

HSCIC data prove that the UK’s obesity is ever rising, with around a 9% increase from 1993-2012, and that females continue to account for the majority of obesity across the country.

Earlier this year, official statistics of 326 UK regions showed that Copeland in West Cumbria topped the chart and had a staggering 75.9% of people living there who were recognised as obese.

When looking for Brighton and Hove, they sat proudly low on the chart in 322^nd place. However, the obesity result was still a scary 49.2%. That is nearly half! This means that the majority of the country is overweight.

How has this happened to our nation? Well, my thoughts are that people don’t know how to achieve a healthy body anymore, because there is so much conflicting information written about diet and exercise.

In front of me, I have The Sun, with a free magazine inside advocating “The No-Diet, Diet” which boasts that you can lose a stone on chocolate, curries and roasts. It actually breaks my heart to think that people will indulge in this blindly and with no thought about what they’re doing to their bodies.

Thankfully, I came across this neat little website for the people of West Sussex (check it out here) which simplifies all people need to know and do to lead a healthy lifestyle.

So, despite these shocking obesity statistics and the claims that losing weight on junk food should be praised, there is still hope. People looking for an answer on how to lead a healthy lifestyle, know that quick fixes will not solve long-term issues. Healthy living requires time, effort and maintenance. But once you get the knack for it, it’ll be second nature to you, and you’ll never turn back.

Your body is a temple. It should be cherished. And sometimes, it’s better to go back to the basics.