Ventia employee with family promoting Men

Taking the online Man Test during Men's Health Week last year set Joe, Ventia's Business Management Systems Specialist, on a whole new path. 

Joe was one of hundreds of employees last year who decided to take the Man Test, a simple health survey hosted on our intranet site. The survey offered our male employees the opportunity to take a closer look into their health and wellbeing.  

A wake-up call

Joe admits he had been unhappy with his health for some time, "I was struggling with my weight and knew this and my lack of fitness put me squarely into the high risk category," says Joe. 

"I thought the Man Test was an easy opportunity to take some action before things got out of control. Still, it was only when I took a week off work to move house that I put it on the list of things to do and promised myself I would do it," he said.

The results were a wake-up call for Joe and the catalyst for him to find a new local doctor who would help him to get his health back on track.

"The doctor supported me with an overall health plan and I really went into this determined," Joe says. "They had me see a dietician, a physiotherapist and I even had an eye test with an optometrist. I came away with good information, a tailored eating plan and a proper exercise plan." 

Making lifestyle changes

Joe set about making important dietary and lifestyle changes resulting in a 30kg weight loss over seven months.  

"Food has always been a weakness for me so the diet side of things was a big challenge," Joe admits. "My new eating plan was all about portion control, eating cleaner and less processed foods. I've been learning about hidden sugars and how to reduce my sugar intake.  I also manage my carbohydrates and eat recommended serves of protein and vegetables. It definitely hasn't been easy and I'm not always perfect but I've stuck at it."

Joe says he still has a way to go to get to his ideal weight for his height, build and age but he's now enjoying the journey of getting there.

I feel better than I ever have. I'm energetic. I now look forward to going for a run with the dog and with my kids on their scooters.  Compared to my initial fitness test score, I am now officially 30% fitter. 

"There has been a lot of upside for my family too', says Joe. 'I am more engaged with the kids and have lots more energy to play with them. We bought a rescue puppy at Christmas, so walking the dog with the family has been another excuse for us all to get some regular exercise."

Take the Man Test at https://mantest.com.au/test and book a health check with your GP.