Torbay Council and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, with other local partners, is encouraging residents to get involved with the new One You national campaign.

One You asks the question “how are you?” and uses innovative technologies and link ups with local services to provide support to become a healthier you.

The campaign’s key aim is to get people healthier and improve their quality of life. The target audience for this campaign is 40-60 year olds and has seven main focuses for improving lifestyles and wellbeing. It encourages people to ‘move more’, ‘go smokefree’, ‘drink less’, ‘stress less’, ‘check yourself’, ‘eat well’ and ‘sleep better’.

Without knowing it, by the time we reach our 40s and 50s many of us will have dramatically increased our chances of becoming ill later in life. Whether we are eating the wrong things, drinking more than we should, continuing to smoke despite everything we know, or just not being active enough, all of these small things can add up to an unhealthy you.

It is not easy in our busy lives – tempting treats in easy reach, bigger portions for everything we eat and technology that allows us to shop, stay in touch and be entertained without ever having to leave the sofa. Modern life is ganging up on us.

Making better choices today can have a huge influence on our health, and could prevent conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease, and reduce our risk of suffering a stroke or living with dementia, disability and frailty in later life.

However, there is good news is we can fight back! One You has an interactive ‘How Are You?’ free health quiz which helps people to identify areas in their lifestyles which might need improvement. The quiz also provides information on local offers and services which can support them to become healthier. Just Search One You online to find the quiz.

There are also apps available for smart phones and tablets which can help monitor some of the key areas. These include couch to 5k with celebrity coaches, a running app and a healthy meals app.

Deputy Mayor and Executive Lead for Health and Wellbeing and Corporate Services, Councillor Derek Mills, said: “One You is a fantastic chance for local people to take control of their health and improve their way of life.

“I urge you to take the ‘How Are You?’ quiz so you can visualise a clear picture of your health and where improvements can be made. The campaign can help you get back to a healthier you and support you to make simple changes towards a longer and happier life.

"One You provides tools, motivational support and encouragement every step of the way, to help improve your health right away. You are not alone – we have the tools and personalised support to help you make small changes yourself, or with friends and family.”

Lyn Ware, General Manager of Public Health at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This new campaign fits really well with our future model of care and what we are trying to achieve. As well as asking what matters to people, rather than what is the matter with them, we're re-organising our services to focus on health, wellbeing and prevention of illness.

“We want to support people to live their lives as well as they possibly can. This campaign reminds us that there is so much we can all do in our everyday lives to look after our own health and wellbeing, from managing our stress better to eating healthily and getting some exercise. We hope local people will benefit from this campaign and take advantage of the support on offer."

The One You nationwide campaign aims to improve not just the length of lives, but to improve the quality of this life so the country becomes healthier and happier.