Childhood obesity ‘boot camps’

	Tweet

Overweight children and their families will attend free 10-week health courses as part of a campaign to tackle childhood obesity.

The £1.4 million scheme will target about 2,000 seven to 13-year-olds in Wales over the next three years.

It comes the week after an NHS dietician revealed children as young as two were being treated for obesity.

Families will get advice on healthy eating, physical activity and shopping on a budget after enrolling themselves or being referred by a GP.

Professionals will be on hand to help change behaviour and build children’s confidence. Follow-up sessions and telephone support will be available to those who attend.

Rather than focus on losing weight, the Welsh Assembly Government said the twice-weekly classes will teach “weight management skills”.

The Mend programme - short for Mind, Exercise, Nutrition ... Do It! - was devised by child health experts at Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London.

Pilot schemes have been running in four parts of Wales since last September. Families taking part in a trial lost an average 4.3cm (1.7ins) from their waists after six months.

About one in five 13-year-olds in Wales is said to be obese or overweight.

Orange Personal Communications Services Limited
Ananova

RELATED STORIES:
Michelle Obama Takes Anti-Obesity Drive to Food Makers   Childhood Respiratory Disease Boosts Illness and Death Risks in Adulthood   Mom better than dad at soothing baby’s pain: study   Ex-tiny babies at risk for reduced fitness levels   Breastfed babies may become leaner kids   Star anise tea can be toxic to infants   Newborn Screening Can Cause Unnecessary Parental Stress   Kids often exposed to Internet porn   US obesity rates could fall if soda pop prices rise   Inequities exists in disease burden, health care and access for minority children   Functional brain pathways disrupted in children with ADHD   Kids risk early deafness with MP3 players

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]