FROM THE TEAM, GOOD NIGHT. ONE NEWS CAPTIONS BY AMY PARK AND RICHARD EDMUNDS. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2013 DUE TO THE LIVE NATURE OF SEVEN SHARP, WE APOLOGISE FOR THE LACK OF CAPTIONS FOR SOME ITEMS. WELCOME. TONIGHT ONE OF US IS GOING TO GET SOME UPSETTING NEWS. THAT'S RIGHT, WITH THE RESULTS OF AN OFFICE-WIDE EXPERIMENT. NOW, YOU DID SAY WE'D DO THIS TEST A LOT EARLIER AS WELL, GILL, SO I REALLY AM BUSTING. OK. THANK YOU. AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE IN THE PICTURE. WE'LL FIND OUT HOW TO CUT DOWN YOUR CHANCE OF HAVING A STROKE, AND WE'LL MEET A COMEDIAN WHO'S HAD ONE AND TELLS THE STORY ONSTAGE. THEN, WELLINGTON UNI STUDENTS CUT UP ROUGH ON THE BUSES ` THE BEST EXCUSE WE'VE HEARD YET FOR SKIPPING CLASSES. YOU'VE GOT DAYS WHERE IT'S LIKE, WELL, MY PASS HAS RUN OUT; I CAN'T AFFORD TO TOP UP MY SNAPPER CARD ` I'M JUST GONNA STAY AT HOME TODAY BECAUSE YOU LITERALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO GET TO CLASS. AND A QUARTET OF NEW NATIONAL CHAMPIONS ARE CROWNED. YOU CAN HAVE, LIKE, THE BIGGEST BICEPS IN THE WORLD ` IT DOESN'T REALLY MEAN YOU'RE GONNA BE, LIKE, A SUPER STRONG ARM-WRESTLER. (LAUGHS) HE'S A SPECIAL BREED. WITH TALES OF TRIUMPH AND LOSS AT AN AUCKLAND PUB. IT'S MONDAY NIGHT. WELCOME TO SEVEN SHARP. EATING HEALTHY CAN BE TWO THINGS: TRICKY ` LESS SUGAR, FAT, AND SALT; AND BORING, BECAUSE YOU HAVE LESS SUGAR, FAT OR SALT. BUT APPARENTLY THAT LAST ONE IS A BIG DEAL WITH NZERS, AND FOOD MANUFACTURERS KNOW THAT, BECAUSE THEY'VE CUT DOWN SALT IN SOME FOODS. BUT HAVE THEY DONE ENOUGH, AND IS IT MAKING ANY DIFFERENCE, AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE, ANYWAY? GILL HIGGINS DID SOME TESTING. ON SEVEN SHARP WE HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO TAKE THE PISS OCCASIONALLY, AND THIS STORY IS NO EXCEPTION, EXCEPT THIS TIME IT'S LITERAL. SO HERE'S YOUR COLLECTION VESSEL. GREG, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU. WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME, GILL? HOW MUCH WEE DO YOU WANT HERE? CLEARLY, A GOOD 3 LITRES. THE THINGS WE DO FOR OUR JOB. BOTH LAUGH YOU DID SAY WE'D DO THIS TEST A LOT AS WELL, GILL, SO I REALLY AM BUSTING. OFF YOU GO. THANK YOU. TAKING A LEAK IS A NATURAL BODILY FUNCTION. OH, THAT'S BETTER. ADMITTEDLY, NOT SO NATURAL RECORDING IT FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. THINK I GOT STAGE FRIGHT. OH, COME ON. GIVE ME A CHANCE TO PUT IT AWAY. BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THIS STORY, I NEED TO COLLECT A LOT OF SPENT PENNIES. HIGGINS. I TIPPED OUT MOST OF IT. OUT THE BAG, CRAIG, OUT THE BAG. NO! HERE YOU GO, GILL. THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE. YOU'VE BEATEN THE BOYS SO FAR. EACH CONTAINER HOLDING THE FRUITS OF 24 HOURS. OK. WHO'S IS THIS? (LAUGHS) DON'T WORRY, GREG, YOUR SECRET'S SAFE WITH US. IT'S MAGIC. IT'S ALSO SCIENCE. URINE SAMPLES HELP GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH SALT SOMEONE HAS ON A DAILY BASIS. TROUBLE IS, SALT'S A SNEAKY LITTLE THING. ABOUT 75% OF OUR DAILY INTAKE IS HIDDEN. CALLED SODIUM IN THE INGREDIENTS LIST, YOU MIGHT EXPECT IT IN TAKEAWAYS, BUT IT ALSO GOES UNDERCOVER IN YOUR DAILY BREAD, AND THAT BREAKFAST YOU THOUGHT WAS SO HEALTHY, LOADS OF SALT LYING LOW. AS FOR TOMATO SAUCE,... IT HAS ABOUT 1000 TIMES MORE SODIUM THAN TOMATOES. NOT THAT YOU'D WANT TO SMEAR THESE ON YOUR BACON, BUT WORTH BEARING IN MIND. TIME TO TAKE IN THE TESTS. IT'S AMAZING WHAT PEOPLE CAN OFFER UP IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. SOME LITTLE TREATS FROM SEVEN SHARP. BUT BEFORE THE RESULTS, A VISIT TO MIDDLEMORE HOSPITAL. HERE WE CAN GET A LITTLE INSIGHT INTO WHY THIS WHOLE BUSINESS IS IMPORTANT. THIS IS THE AFTERMATH OF A STROKE. THESE PATIENTS ARE HERE TO GET... THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE MOVEMENT AGAIN. COS THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE LOST? THAT'S WHAT THEY'VE LOST. YEAH. SOME OLDER, SOME PRETTY YOUNG. IN HER 40s, THIS SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DIDN'T SEE IT COMING. WAS IT ALL A BIT OF A SHOCK, WAS IT? DEFINITELY. IT WAS... OH. WELL, YEAH. (LAUGHS) YEAH. I THINK THAT I WASN'T USED TO... SHE WASN'T USED TO BEING STUCK FOR WORDS, BUT IT'S WHAT OFTEN COMES WITH A STROKE, AND IT ALL HAS TO BE RE-LEARNT. IT'S NOT EASY. (LAUGHS) IT'S REALLY HARD, BUT IT CAN BE DONE. NOW, TOO MUCH SALT MAY BE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STROKES THESE PEOPLE SUFFERED, BUT WE KNOW IT'S A BIG RISK FACTOR. IF WE CAN REDUCE SALT INTAKE IN THE POPULATION, IT WOULD PROBABLY MAKE A VERY REAL IMPACT ON THE NUMBER OF STROKES WE SEE IN NZ. FIRST STEP ` FIND OUT IF YOUR DIET IS INDEED A LITTLE HEAVY ON THE SALT. NOW, HERE ARE THE RESULTS, AND THE PRESENTERS HAVEN'T EVEN SEEN THESE YET. SO JUST TO CLARIFY ` THIS IS THE FIGURE WE'RE INTERESTED IN. THAT'S THE AMOUNT OF SODIUM IN YOUR BODY THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE EACH DAY. SO YOU DON'T WANNA GO OVER THAT. NOW, FIVE OF US WERE SWEET ` YES, ME INCLUDED ` BUT THE OTHER FIVE WERE ABOVE THE LIMIT. WE'RE JOINED NOW BY BRIT COMEDIAN MARKUS BIRDMAN. MARKUS, GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE, AND GOOD TO HAVE YOU AT ALL. YOU HAD A STROKE YOURSELF, AND YOUR COMEDY IS BASED ON THAT. WE'RE ALL ABOUT TO SEE OUR RESULTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. POSSIBLY A COMEDY BLACK HOLE COMING UP, THEN. I am high. Me too. Can I have both of your carDs? You'll been down this road, you have had a stroke. What advice would you give to these two? Enjoy yourself. I think you have to look at your intake. You've gone through this yourself.What mindset to get in? I think I was more neurotic beforehand. When it actually happened and I became aware of mortality and death, it makes you go, you've got to live your life. I became more realistic and more aware of exercise and what I do and eat. I exercise quite a lot anyway. I did think was a hangover, which is a lot about the British attitude towards drinking. What have you learned you weren't doing enough of or weren't doing enough? A comedian doesn't eat supper, so you get late nights, you drink too much, you eat pasties and crisps at three in the morning. My cholesterol was really high. I'm a comedian, but I don't get how you can talk about on stage and make it funny. I feel like the audience would freeze up and not laugh. I wanted it to be a reveal. I like the idea that people are shocked into it. My agent said I needed to tell them it was funny.So I told them that ends well. 9000 strokes a year in New Zealand. Where are you with salt? Do you avoid it altogether? I'm not monastic about it. That allows me to keep that regime. I think that's quite a good way of doing it. I'd die of boredom, and probably kill someone else and irritation. There's nothing funny about having a stroke. I'm not being glib about it. I'm not making light of how serious a subject that is, but a lot of the procedures I had were quite funny. Being injected with radioactive dye and swallowing cameras. Obviously you've got a sense of humour, but it would be easy to struggle if you're faced with something like a stroke. It was ridiculous to write jokes about the difference between men and women when you're just got stroke going through your head. They say write what you know. We all know about death, but it sort of over there. Your made a marvellous recovery. I've got a quarter of my eyesight gone. I feel very positive about life now. I was a moanor before, but life is for living. IF YOU'RE GUESSING YOU'RE EATING TOO MUCH SALT TOO, WE'VE GOT A TEST ONLINE TO CHECK. STAY WITH US. STILL TO COME ` JEHAN CASINADER ON A SCOOTER. THERE'S BEEN SOME PRETTY ROPY WEATHER AROUND THE COUNTRY TODAY, AND I'D BET YOU'D RATHER BE ON A BUS RATHER THAN ONE OF THESE. BUT SOME UNI STUDENTS SAYS THEY CAN'T EVEN AFFORD THE FARE. WE'LL TELL YOU WHY AFTER THE BREAK. AND WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES TO REVEAL OUR BICEPS OF PURE STEEL ` WE'RE AT THE NATIONAL ARM-WRESTLING CHAMPS. IF YOU LOOKED AT A TYPICAL BUDGET FOR A UNI STUDENT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY'D SPEND MOST OF THEIR MONEY ON? BOOKS. ENTERTAINING. IN WELLINGTON, STUDENTS SAY THERE'S ONE THING THAT IS COSTING THEM WAY MORE THAN IT SHOULD. HERE'S JEHAN CASINADER. THE CAPITAL IS CRAWLING WITH BUSES. FUNKY MUSIC CONTINUES AND IF YOU'RE A BUREAUCRAT, A BUSINESS PERSON OR A POOR STUDENT, YOU PAY EXACTLY THE SAME FARE. IT'S SOMETHING YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH CONTROL OVER, AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHY IT'S REALLY STRESSFUL FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. SAM SPENDS 40 BUCKS A WEEK GETTING TO AND FROM UNI. THERE'S NO OTHER OPTION. IT'S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS SAYING, 'OH, JUST WALK TO UNI' ` I DON'T HAVE A SPARE HOUR THERE AND HOUR BACK IN MY LIFE. AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S AFFECTING HER STUDIES. YOU'RE JUST, LIKE, 'OH MY GOSH, 'WHERE AM I GOING TO FIND ANOTHER 40 BUCKS FOR THE NEXT WEEK?' AND THAT'S WHEN I START, LIKE, LOOKING THROUGH MY DIARY, LOOKING THROUGH MY TIMETABLE TO SEE WOULD BE THE BEST DAY TO WAG. SAM'S NOT THE ONLY ONE. YOU'VE GOT DAYS WHEN IT'S LIKE, WELL, MY PASS HAS RUN OUT, I CAN'T AFFORD TO TOP UP MY SNAPPER CARD ` I'M JUST GOING TO STAY AT HOME TODAY BECAUSE YOU LITERALLY CANNOT AFFORD TO GET TO CLASS. EMILY CAN'T GET A STUDENT ALLOWANCE. SHE SPENDS $145 A MONTH ON BUS FARES ` MONEY SHE HAS TO BORROW. I'VE ACTUALLY SAID TO MY MANAGER AT WORK I CAN'T WORK CERTAIN DAYS JUST BECAUSE THE BUSES DON'T RUN, AND SO I'D HAVE TO PAY MORE TO GET INTO TOWN, AND FOR, YOU KNOW, A THREE- OR FOUR-HOUR SHIFT, IT'S NOT WORTH IT. WELLINGTON'S REGIONAL COUNCIL GIVES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS A DISCOUNT ON BUSES AND TRAINS, BUT NOT TERTIARY STUDENTS. DO YOU WANNA CATCH A RIDE? SURPRISE, SURPRISE ` THE STUDENTS ASSOCIATION ISN'T HAPPY. STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS ASKING FOR MORE MONEY. WELL, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO DEAL IN FACTS, AND THE FACTS ARE THAT STUDENTS MOSTLY EARN UNDER $210 A WEEK. YEAH, THERE'S SOME OUTLIERS, BUT BY AND LARGE, THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY TO EARN. SO A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING, A LOT OF STUDENTS ARE FINDING IT VERY HARD TO FIND WORK OR TO MAKE ENDS MEET. THE ASSOCIATION'S RUNNING A CAMPAIGN CALLED FAIRER FARES. THEY'RE TARGETING THE COUNCIL. 2000 STUDENTS HAVE SIGNED POSTCARDS IN SUPPORT. IN OTHER CITIES, LIKE AUCKLAND, THEY'VE GOT A STUDENT CONCESSION, WHERE STUDENTS GET 40% OFF, AND ACTUALLY, IT'S BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL THERE. COULD THAT HAPPEN IN WELLINGTON? WELL, THE COUNCIL'S ASKING SOME QUESTIONS. WHO IS IT FAIR THAT WE SHOULD GIVE CONCESSIONS TO? IS IT FAIR? IS THAT FAIR? IS IT FAIRER? ARE THOSE FAIR OPTIONS? THE OPTION STUDENTS WANT COULD COME AT A BIG COST. OUR VERY CONSERVATIVE MODELLING SAYS THAT A 50% CONCESSION FOR TERTIARY STUDENTS HERE IN WELLINGTON REGION WOULD COST $4 MILLION. YEP, $4 MILLION, AND RATEPAYERS WOULD HAVE TO STUMP UP HALF OF IT. AND THE WAY TO MAKE THAT UP IS EITHER TO RAISE EVERYONE ELSE'S FARES OR TO RAISE EVERYONE ELSE'S TRANSPORT RATES, OR SOME COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO. THE CHANCES OF THE COUNCIL SAYING YES TO THAT? WELL, NOT GREAT. IF YOU'RE ACTUALLY EARNING GOOD MONEY BUT HAPPEN TO DO A PAPER AT UNIVERSITY, I DON'T SEE ANY GOOD ARGUMENT ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD ONLY PAY HALF PRICE FOR YOUR PUBLIC TRANSPORT. THE STUDENTS ARE STICKING TO THEIR MESSAGE, THOUGH. THEY'VE GOT THE SUPPORT OF SOME COUNCILLORS AND ARE HOPING THEY DON'T BACKPEDAL. WHY DON'T STUDENTS TAKE PEDAL BIKES TO UNI RATHER THAN BUSES? WELL, WELLINGTON HAS A LOT OF HILLS, IF YOU HADN'T NOTICED, AND A LOT OF WIND. THIS IS THE ONLY CITY IN NZ WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A STUDENT CONCESSION AND MIGHTY BIG HILLS. If I can sum up the reaction to this story online, it comes down to 2 words harden up. It's all of us versus the bus company. Auckland is the only city which actually subsidises student fears. Auckland subsidises double the amount of students using public transport. I was lucky enough to live in Hamilton with my parents when I was at university, so mum would drop me off. I can't believe you just said that. THERE'S GOT TO BE THINGS THAT YOU CAN'T DO. NO PUNCHING. NO PUNCHING. WE CROWNED SOME NEW NATIONAL CHAMPIONS AT THE WEEKEND. IT WASN'T IN RUGBY OR NETBALL OR ANY MAINSTREAM PASTIME YOU CAN THINK OF. NO, WE HERE AT SEVEN SHARP SUPPORT THE MINOR SPORTS. ONLY HERE WILL YOU GET THE RESULTS FROM THE NATIONAL ARM WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS. TAKE IT AWAY, CRAIG STANAWAY. ARGH! THINK ARM WRESTLING, THINK STALLONE, AND AN '80s MOVIE THAT CAN BE SUMMED UP IN TWO WORDS.... ABSOLUTE <BLEEP>. THINK KIWI ARM WRESTLING, AND, WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK. RULES OF ARM WRESTLING ARE BASICALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. ELBOW MUST ALWAYS BE ON THIS PAD HERE, AND THE AIM OF THE GAME IS TO TAKE YOUR OPPOSITION'S HAND AND TRY TO GET THAT SIDE ON TO THE CUSHION. THERE'S GOT TO BE THINGS YOU CAN'T DO? NO PUNCHING. NO PUNCHING, NO KICKING, NO BITING. BUT ONE LEG HAS TO BE ON THE FLOOR AT ALL TIMES. THOSE RULES MUST'VE COME IN AFTER STALLONE, COS REMEMBER, HE STILL WON. WHAT 'OVER THE TOP' MEANS IS TO PUT YOUR FINGERS OVER YOUR OWN THUMB. THAT'S 'OVER THE TOP'. IT'S DOWN TO TECHNIQUE, SPEED AND A BATTLE OF WILLS. YOU CAN HAVE THE BIGGEST BICEPS IN THE WORLD. IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE GOING TO BE A SUPER-STRONG ARM WRESTLER. DO YOU WANT TO TRY? NO. ALL LAUGH AMID ALL THIS BRAVADO, BRAGGADOCIO AND B.S., THERE'S A MYSTERIOUS LITTLE MAN IN THE BACKGROUND. JUST 70KGS, POUND FOR POUND, HE'S THE BEST. AND AT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, HE'S IN THE ZONE. LOOK AT THE HAT! WHAT I DO IS, I JUST TRY TO TAKE MY HAT, AND I TURN IT AROUND, AND IT'S LIKE A SWITCH THAT GOES ON. WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST TO PREPARE FOR THE FINAL? I JUST HAD COFFEE AND CHEESE PIE. PROTEIN SHAKE? NO, NOT TODAY. YOU KNOW WE'RE IN YOUR CORNER! COME ON! THE UNDER 80KG FINAL LASTS LESS THAN 10 SECONDS. I WAS SURPRISED, BUT IT WAS NOT TOO HARD. TO THE UNDER 90s. HOW ARE YOU FEELING? TAKE HIM DOWN, MATE. TAKE HIM DOWN. GO! BLINK AND YOU'D HAVE MISSED IT. THAT WAS TOO EASY. THANK YOU, MAN. THANK YOU! ZURAB ` HE WON. YES, UNDER 80KG CHAMPION. ANTON ` HE WON. YES, UNDER 90KG CHAMPION. NO PRESSURE. SO HOW DID THE 110-KILO DIVISION GO? HE'S TOO STRONG FOR ME. AS MEATLOAF SAID, 'TWO OUT OF THREE AIN'T BAD.' LAUGHTER BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER REASON TO CELEBRATE IN THE BIG BOYS' CATEGORY ` AN INTRUDING AUSSIE SENT PACKING BY ROTORUA'S FINEST. I HEARD A GOOD STORY ABOUT YOU. YOU WERE 200KG, AND YOU'VE DROPPED 70KG JUST BY ARM WRESTLING. WOW! ARM-WRESTLING'S CHANGED MY LIFESTYLE. BEFORE THAT I WAS ALL OVER THE PLACE, YOU KNOW. AND EVER SINCE THIS, BRO, IT'S JUST BROUGHT EVERYTHING TOGETHER, AND IT'S DONE THE BEST FOR ME, ACTUALLY. WHICH JUST GOES TO SHOW THERE'S MORE TO ARM WRESTLING THAN YOU THINK. AND A BIT OF SAD NEWS TO COME OUT OF THAT STORY. BIG MATT, WHO YOU SAW AT THE END THERE, HIS BIGGEST FAN DIED YESTERDAY JUST ONE DAY AFTER HE TOOK THE TITLE. THERE HE IS IN HAPPIER TIMES WITH HIS NANA, WHO WOULD HAVE VERY PROUD OF HIM INDEED. HE SEEMED SWEET. OVER THE TOP ISN'T ILLEGAL. NOW, THE WINNERS OF THESE NATIONAL CHAMPS CAN GO ON TO THE WORLD CHAMPS, BUT THEY NEED A LOT OF FUNDRAISING TO GET TO THE TOURNAMENT IN THE NETHERLANDS. BUT THEY'RE UP AGAINST SOME VERY BIG BOYS. THE CURRENT CHAMPION, WITH BOTH ARMS, IS UKRAINE'S ANDRI PUSHKAR, WHO'S WON 11 WORLD TITLES. HE'S A BEAST. Thanks were getting in touch tonight on Twitter and Facebook. THAT'S ALL FOR TONIGHT. SEE YOU TOMORROW. CAPTIONS BY FAITH HAMBLYN AND ANNE LANGFORD. CAPTIONS WERE MADE POSSIBLE WITH FUNDING FROM NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT TVNZ ACCESS SERVICES 2013