Healthy heart campaign hits supermarkets

ADAM Gardiner and his wife Jackie are in the cereal aisle at Asda trying to choose between a huge range of products.

"I've been told by my doctor that oats are good for the cholesterol," he says, picking out a pack of instant porridge.

Jackie, who has a tiny appetite and needs to keep her weight up, goes for sugar coated puffs.

With a bewildering choice available to consumers, it can be hard to work out what really is good for your health.

But help is now at hand in the shape of a healthy heart battlebus, which is touring Scottish supermarkets offering health checks to customers.

"It is not easy to look at all these labels and it can be difficult to make the right choices," says Mr Gardiner, 65, from Macmerry, East Lothian.

Mrs Gardiner, a smoker, says she wouldn't be afraid to take a closer look at how the habit harms the heart.

"I did get help to stop and I relapsed. I have cut down a lot, but I would be quite happy to be offered help," she said.

Andrew Galloway, of Dalkeith, thinks the message is getting across. "I think people are more health conscious these days," he said. "The trouble is people always think it is not going to happen to them."

Claire Fraser, community development manager for the British Heart Foundation in Scotland, said the supermarket tour was a way to encourage people to think about making changes that could improve their health.

"The roadshow is the perfect chance for people interested in their health to come along to a really friendly, informal setting and find out more about how they can improve their lifestyle to lower their risk of developing heart disease in the future

"While fewer people may be dying from heart disease, more people are living with it. Small changes really can make a huge difference to the risk of getting heart disease and we have lots of free support and guidance to offer."

The first Heart Health Roadshow was opened by health secretary Nicola Sturgeon at a supermarket in Govan, Glasgow.

She said: "Tackling heart disease is a national clinical priority. The Scottish Government welcomes this new Heart Health Roadshow, which will greatly help more people understand the risks of developing heart disease and encourage them to take action to reduce these risks.

"(It] complements the Scottish Government's Keep Well programme of health checks, and enhances our work on tackling health inequalities."

Visitors to the vehicle will use touchscreens to complete a simple lifestyle questionnaire and then chat to a heart health adviser, nurse or dietician about the results. They will be encouraged to come up with three health goals. If necessary, visitors will be directed to visit their GP.

For a list of venues and dates, visit bhf.org.uk/roadshow.