Article Review

I decided to do an article review based on a topic that would be helpful to my future career in the Health, Wellness and Fitness Industry. This article caught my eye and seems to be following a current popular trend of “weight loss challenges” in which the motivation to lose weight is heightened due to the competitive edge of competing towards a common goal with others.
This article found in the Globe in Mail on January 17, 2012 is by Leslie Beck, and is all about Toronto Mayor Rob Ford’s goal to lose 50 pounds in approximately 22 weeks. The article describes that Rob and his brother Doug are participating in the “Cut the Waist” challenge, a challenge established to bring awareness to how important

waist circumference is in relation to health. Rob and Doug plan to weigh in weekly, announcing their results to the public (Globe and Mail.) I chose this article because I find it extremely encouraging and motivational to see a well known politician allowing the public to be included in such a personal process. I also noticed that he has some great goal setting and behaviour changing elements included in his plan that should contribute to his success. He has a specific goal, a concrete timeline, his plan is public, requires accountability, has a competitive nature and also he has support. The information in this article will be helpful in my career because whether or not he does meet his goal (although hopefully he will,) this is something I can show to my clients in the future to display to them a proper weight loss plan as well as how to properly set goals for success. A plan like this will hopefully also be great motivation for behaviour change. I could also start my own “Cut the Waist” challenge and use this article to help me set benchmarks for my clients within the program. The only thing that this article fails to provide is what Ford’s plan is for exercise, which is a key factor in healthy weight loss. This is something that would obviously need to be included if I did a similar weight loss challenge for clients in the future.

View the article here:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/conditions/weight-loss/is-rob-fords-weight-loss-goal-realistic/article2305054/

References
Beck, Leslie. (2012.) Is Rob Ford’s Weight-loss Goal Realistic?. Retrieved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/conditions/weight-loss/is-rob- fords-weight-loss-goal-realistic/article2305054/