What really shapes our health, and how much of it is actually within our control? In this episode, we explore the powerful forces influencing the way we think about, talk about and experience health and wellbeing. From the way health messages are communicated to us, to the commercial determinants of health and the industries that influence our choices, we look beyond the idea that health is simply a matter of personal responsibility, to the environments and experiences that shape our choices. We also turn to healthy ageing, exploring sarcopenia and strength, and discuss why maintaining strength is so important for mobility, independence and reducing the risk of falls. It’s a conversation about moving beyond simplistic health advice and understanding the bigger picture: how we communicate health, what shapes our choices, and what we can do to stay stronger and healthier for longer. Dr Troy Walker is a Yorta Yorta man, an experienced chiropractor and strength and conditioning coach with a demonstrated history of working in the clinical health, wellbeing, nutrition and physical activity domains. He is a concomitant research professional with a Masters in Human Nutrition with a particular focus on Australian Aboriginal strength-based approaches to health. This is especially as it relates to nutrition, physical activity and sarcopenia prevention in older adults and includes regular delivery of lectures, workshops and presentations at seminars on all of these topics. He has obtained Clinical Fellowship in Lifestyle Medicine with the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM). Contact: troy.walker@deakin.edu.au LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-walker-31143818b/ Articles: Walker, T., Sherriff, S., & Browne, J. (2026). Weight loss medication marketing and First Nations people: Disease awareness or corporate profit? Medical Journal of Australia, 224(7), e70246. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.70246 Browne, J., Walker, T., Hill, K., Mitchell, F., Beswick, H., Thow, S., Ryan, J., Sherriff, S., Rossignoli, A., Ropitini, A., Johnstone, M., Paradies, Y., Backholer, K., Allender, S., & Brown, A. D. (2024). Food policies for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health (FoodPATH): A systems thinking approach. Food Policy, 126, 102676. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2024.102676 Leersen, P., Lock, M., Walker, T., Crocetti, A., & Browne, J. (2024). Corporate sector engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: An analysis of stakeholder submissions. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 20(3), 462–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/11771801241253291 Walker, T., Singh, K. P., Gan, V., Conley, B., Bravo, J., Smith, N., Clarke, A., Baker, J., Maple-Brown, L. J., Daly, R., Browne, J., Zanker, J., Shore-Lorenti, C., Scott, D., Ebeling, P. R., & Zengin, A. (2025). Bone health perspectives among Indigenous people: A qualitative study. Medical Journal of Australia, 223(2), 92–100. https://doi.org/10.5694/mja2.52704
