Buck at Human Potential Centre opening
Iconic All Black captain Buck Shelford was the keynote speaker at the opening of the Human Potential Centre (HPC) at AUT Millennium yesterday. The function, attended by over 160 stakeholders, was also the official book launch of Buck Up, co-authored by Buck and HPC director Professor Grant Schofield.
Buck Up - The Real Bloke’s Guide to Getting Healthy and Living Longer, which has passages from both Buck and Schofield, strikes a balance between real life stories and scientific research. Told in humorous, chatty style, Schofield communicates the main issues facing the modern day man and what they should do to live a better, longer life.
Three messages to Kiwi men
The All Black legend had three messages for the men attending the event. “Eat healthy, exercise and get regular check-ups from your doctor. Our tane are dying too young,” he said.
Buck’s anecdotes, including his battle with cancer and his weight, give the book a colourful and real narrative but it is the summary of worldwide academic research from Schofield that adds gravitas.
“We all die, that’s a fact. But how you live and for how long you live is to some extent up to you. How best to do that is what the Human Potential Centre is focused on finding out.” says Schofield.
The Human Potential Centre
The centre is a multi-disciplinary research group that looks at all socio-ecological determinants of health behaviours and outcomes.
Recently the centre announced the launch of the Sovereign Wellbeing Index. The five year project, the first of its kind in New Zealand, will establish an objective measure of this country’s wellbeing so it can be compared with other developed countries. The objective is to use the research findings to influence behaviour and policy. For more information and how you can get involved go to www.humanpotentialcentre.aut.ac.nz