| Value of being in a Health Club |
| Gain knowledge on Diet, Physical activity, and Medication |
| “We gain a lot from being members of the club. We are taught a lot of things such as the |
| way we should eat and exercise. We are also taught about the different foods and how we |
| should eat. We are told that we should not add a lot of salt we should add salt when the |
| food is being cooked and once the food is ready we should not add more” |
| “We also exercise and this makes us feel better” |
| “We are told that we should take our medication as prescribed for example if you are told |
| to take a pill in the morning you should do so or maybe take two a day. If you forgot to take |
| your medication you should not take more than is required the next day. We should take |
| our medication according to the instructions given. Pills should be taken after meals (and) |
| we are also encouraged to drink water" |
| There was a respondent who identified lack of knowledge as barrier to healthy eating |
| “When I ate my food I thought that I was eating healthy. It is only when I met the club |
| leaders that I started to understand that the way I was doing things was wrong” |
| Emotional Support |
| “We also encourage each other. At times when you leave home you are troubled by |
| personal problems, but when you arrive here and talk about it and hear others talk about |
| their problems, you feel that you are not alone. That’s how we share and this helps us a lot |
| emotionally. It’s unlike when you are at home and you are constantly trying to deal with it |
| (problem) alone” |
| External hindrances to the adoption of healthy eating |
| Personal preferences and family habits or practices can be a hindrance even though |
| people are aware of the consequences. Family habits can lead to isolation, as the other |
| members may have different eating habits. One respondent who belongs to a health club |
| commented: |
| …..for example we are told to eat chicken breast in the club. I cannot eat that part (chicken |
| breast) it is too dry. I prefer eating it with the skin or with some fat. The problem is that at |
| home people eat it with the fat and yet I’m not allowed |
