Reader\'s Digest Australia - 07.2019

12 | July• 2019

Activities Prescribed to Beat Loneliness

Ice Cream Rewards for Commuters Who Cycle

 D

octors are trialling a new

form of prescription to treat

loneliness that doesn’t

involve a trip to the pharmacy. GPs in

England can now prescribe a dance

class, cooking class or attendance

at a community café to help senior

citizens combat loneliness. Trials are

also underway in Liverpool with

postal workers checking on socially

isolated people as part of their usual

day’s work. ‘Social prescribing’ is

aimed at boosting both emotional

and physical health, as loneliness has

been linked to conditions such as

Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

COMPILED BY VICKI POLZOT, JAMES HADLEY, KATHY BUCHANAN

A

n anti-pollution

initiative in the

Italian city of

Bologna is rewarding

people who leave the

car at home to walk,

cycle or take public

transport instead.

Participants use

the Bella Mossa

smartphone app to

log sustainable trips,

earning points they

can redeem for beer,

ice cream and cinema

tickets. The app also

shows users how much

carbon dioxide they’ve

saved in the process.

Some 10,000 people

used the app last year.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES