Britain's television regulator, Ofcom, has place a total ban on junk food advertising on all children's TV channels and around all programs that have a "particular appeal" to under 16-year-olds. The Guardian has a report on the decision here. I wonder how effective this will be in addressing childhood obesity, and whether other countries will consider following suit.

One of the measurements that alarmed my doctor was my blood-pressure reading. On his advice, I have purchased a blood pressure monitor (for about $119) and I've been taking a record of it every few days. The doctor explained that my blood pressure will change across the day depending on what I'm doing and how I feel. Thankfully, it hasn't yet been anywhere as high as it was when I first saw him. I will post my weight, blood pressure readings and other stats on this page as I become more organised. (I left the notebook with all that in at work).

The doctor has given me some basic nutritional advice, with the offer of sending me to a dietician if I need it. I've been to a dietician before. I know what to do, I just haven't been doing it. The advice? The biggies are: eat fruit after every meal, lots of vegetables and trim the fat off the meat. He's also told me: "Only drink socially". He is obviously unware of how many social functions I go to - especially at this time of year - and how socialable I can be given half the chance. As I said before, I'm off alcohol completely for the time being.

Between my first doctor's appointment on November 8 and my follow-up on November 15, I lost 4kg - taking my total weight from 126 to 122kg. I've been down the dieting track before, so I'm not especially excited about this. A big weight-loss in the first week is not uncommon, and it's often followed by a small gain. What's more important is that I've started to make important changes to my lifestyle. The first is that I've stopped drinking - not permanently, but for a while. With Christmas just around the corner, I know this is a ridiculous time of year to give up alcohol, just as it's a difficult time to go on a diet.

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On Wednesday, November 8, 2006, I went to see a doctor in order to get the all-clear to start an exercise program. Initially, he congratulated me for taking the decision to get fit, but after running a few preliminary tests, he became quite concerned about my health. "This is serious," he said, pointing out that my blood pressure was very high. "You could have a stroke or a heart attack within five to ten years." Further tests showed that I was as much as 40kg heavier than my "ideal" weight, my blood sugar and cholesterol levels were too high, and there were other potential health "time bombs" lurking inside me. The doctor said he could virtually guarantee that all these problems would disappear if I lost at least 20kg. After I took it all in, I decided to build and maintain this blog - to document my progress and to help keep me on course. The name of the site, Target 25, refers to my aim to lose at least 25kg. Over the next however-long-it-takes, I plan to update this site regularly and to share my experiences. Hopefully, others will join in and tell their weight-loss stories, too. I know this won't be easy, but given the alternatives - early death or incapacity - I have no real choice.

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