Keron Pritchard has lost over 60kg with the help of the Green Prescription program, going from 156kg to nearing his goal of 95kg. He was referred to the program by his doctor due to health issues from being overweight. With support from his health mentor Michael McCormack, Keron learned healthy eating and exercise habits. He now goes to the gym four times a week, and his children have also adjusted their habits to support his changes. Keron is happy to now share his story of improved health and freedom from weight issues.

1. Life's good now Keron's shed weight
Keron Pritchard has changed his life from one lived on the couch to one with a daily dose of exercise and healthy
eating.
The Otahuhu father of four was 156kg at his heaviest but, with the help of activity support programme Green Pre-
scription, he is now nearing his goal of 95kg.His journey began in January last year and he says the Ministry of Health-
funded programme has introduced the word "freedom" into his life.
"My children became my arms and my legs. I used to get them to do this and that for me. "Whenever I moved, it was
always towards the next thing I could lean on. So I thought, ‘oh my God, I better do something about this'," he says.
He was referred to the programme by his respiratory specialist at Middlemore Hospital, where he was introduced to
health mentor Michael McCormack, who he describes as "a real good fella".
He was guided through exercise and nutritional plans and was supported in creating a list of goals.
The programme brings dramatic results, Mr McCormack says.
"When I was speaking to [Keron] he was saying he was struggling to stay awake, he didn't have the energy to do any-
thing during the day, he couldn't even go and do the grocery shopping . . . now he goes to the gym four times a week
at 6am."
Mr Pritchard says his kids have also been supportive and they, too, have had to change "a few habits". "My kids love
pizza, so they started eating pizza outside or they'd go straight into their room and close the door so the smell would-
n't linger . . . they'd eat their lollies outside the house and things like that."
Now Mr Pritchard is happy to share the message about daily exercise and healthy eating.
He looks back on his previous weight with disbelief and has even destroyed all the old photos of himself in order to
move on.
"When you're that heavy, life sort of stops. Now that I've lost all this weight, everything becomes beautiful." Go to
health.govt.nz or ask your GP for info on Green Prescription.
Reporter: Nigel Moffiet– Manukau Courier/stuff.co.nz 2013.