The Lifestyle Medicine University Foundation, based in Wyoming, USA has appointed Ambassador Peace Onuiri, a certified Public Health Expert and Occupational Safety Health OSH, Manager as the Director of the Healthi-Wealthi Initiative for Africa.
HealthiWealthi is an arm of the Lifestyle Medicine Foundation involved with Health coaching to combat chronic diseases, which can be reduced and reversed through comprehensive lifestyle improvements as research has clearly shown.
Ambassador Peace Onuiri (MPH, FOSHA], the newly appointed Director, at a press briefing in Abeokuta called on relevant agencies to cooperate with HealthiWealthi Africa Initiative, in promoting a healthy lifestyle to reduce chronic diseases and improve optimum health.
Onuiri who chairs the Occupational Safety Health Association OSHA, UK, Ogun State Chapter and served as a panelist during the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on Population Development recently,
said, “Health coaches are habit improvement specialists, who encourage individuals to practice health-enhancing behaviours, supporting them to improve on one micro habit at a time, such as stress management, exercise, healthy diet, sleep hygiene, adherence to doctor’s prescription and protocol.
“The burden of chronic non-communicable diseases calls for individuals and communities to adopt healthier lifestyles of adequate diet, more exercise, improved sleep, managed stress and supportive relationships but the challenge lies in making lifestyle changes, which is hard for most people due to the cyclic nature of the behaviour change process that requires specific interventional strategies.
“Hence the need for the collaboration and supportive alliance of health coaches, who provides behaviour change methodologies that aim to prevent diabetes, hypertension, arthritis, hyperlipidemia, heart diseases, cancer, addictions and other chronic disorders,” she added.
Stressing that the National Board for Health and Wellness Coaches (NBHWC), health and Wellness coaches partner with clients who are seeking self-directed lasting changes, aligned with their values, which promote health and Wellness, thereby enhancing well-being.
She added that work, health and Wellness coaches display unconditional positive regard for their clients and belief in their capacity for change, acknowledging that each client is an expert on his or her life while ensuring that all interactions are respectful and non-judgemental.
Onuiri further explained, “Many health coaches are non-clinical professionals from a variety of backgrounds in physical fitness, health education, nutrition consulting, and human resources, among others.”
Explaining that Health coaches are experts in their work, who also and believes in the client’s capacity for change.
Health coaching for lifestyle change is a relatively new concept in Africa but there are over 5,000 National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coaches (NBC-HWC) in the US and other nations are adopting similar competencies, she asserted.
Onuiri, therefore, called for the training and involvement of more health coaches across the continent.