In addition to the lack of exercise, other risk factors are unhealthy eating, the use of psychoactive substances and other harmful habits. Globally, there is already talk of type 2 diabetes epidemic, resulting from sedentary lifestyle, the overconsumption of fatty foods and sugar, etc.

Despite the abundance of information on the Internet, sometimes people with mental health problems know surprisingly little about healthy lifestyle and systematically consume unhealthy foods and use psychoactive substances, spend long hours with electronic devices, disrupt their own sleep patterns and do not care adequately for their physical ailments. There is also the other extremity – obsession with healthy eating which may lead to an eating disorder known as “orthorexia”.

Indeed, the Web offers plenty of useful information on healthy lifestyle, but one may easily fall prey to unreliable theories, misleading tips, commercial publications and outright hoaxes. The so-called alternative medicine has come to enjoy increasing trust and popularity, but there is also serious critical research available.

Just like with exercising, the problem may have to do with willpower: one may know very well in theory which habits are harmful and what are the right foods to eat, but be unable in practice to overcome one’s own resistance. In this case, workshops and trainings, especially when interactive, can empower participants to move step by step into the right direction. Being part of a group with the same objectives, as well as transfer to the moderator, increase significantly the chances for success.