Action 3: Educate About Healthy Lifestyle

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3. Educate about healthy lifestyle: Lifestyle factors such as smoking, under-nutrition, and obesity can substantially reduce fertility. Every educational approach to promote healthy living should clearly address the effect of lifestyle factors on fertility.

This should have as a principle focus the benefits of healthy eating and the short and long-term harms of smoking on current and future reproductive and general health (ASRM, 2008e; ASRM, 2008m; van der Steeg, 2008). Promotion of support programmes (such as, smoking cessation) should sit alongside other programmes, enabling movement towards healthy living. (ASRM Practice Committee)

Schools and healthcare facilities should educate about healthy diets, unhealthy diets and weight control both for current and future health.