TRACEY BENDINGER | Culture | CONTACT
Spending a year abroad in the mother land is a rite of passage for any blue-blooded Australian, as is accepting the heavy and inevitable fate of receiving the ‘Heathrow Injection’.
The Heathrow Injection is not a literal injection, but rather a metaphor for the 8-15kg weight gain both men and women experience when abroad.
Concerned for the health of these young Australians, weight loss giant Jenny Craig has developed a specialised program designed specifically for 19-year-olds returning from their GAP year – a sabbatical year school leavers opt to take before commencing their tertiary education.
The Advocate reached out to Jenny for comment however we were redirected to celebrity dietician and spokesperson, Mel B, who explains why they’re targeting this niche market.
“Oh well, you know, these young kids are coming back from the trip of a life time, they’re drowning in debt and being smothered by all the excess weight they’ve gained.” Explained Mel B, in her thick West Yorkshire accent.
“They’ve been dealt a doubly bad hand and we just want to help them out.”
Jorgie Walterson, a local girl who has just signed up to the program, has already noticed a significant drop in the scale number staring back at her, she explains.
“I put on 15kg over there, you could nearly see the outline of Yorkshire puddings and fish & chips on my body”
“Just reintroducing vegetables and not having 10,000 cocktails and pizzas a day helped, 10kg fell off me nearly overnight!”
The Advocate understands that Jorgie is not alone in her poor GAP year diet choices, with the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimating that 30% of all overweight people in Australia can be directly attributed to a year abroad.
More to come.
