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Investing in child health
25th August 2011
Sheffield has a new service to support the families of overweight and obese children thanks to a new childhood obesity service running across the city from September.
NHS Sheffield has appointed Zest for Health to deliver the programme which will work with overweight and obese children aged between 7 and 15 to support lifestyle changes and the achievement of a sustainable healthy weight.
The programme focuses on healthy eating and physical activity providing families and children with the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their weight successfully.
The Zest for Health contract has been awarded for three years to replace the Watch It programme, providing greater capacity and more flexibility in child weight management in the city.
Nazreen Iqbal, Health Services Manager for Zest, said:
“We are delighted to be delivering the new programme where we are able to offer a flexible and responsive service based on what we know about the needs of Sheffield families and what works for them.
“The programme is fully interactive and children are encouraged to attend all kinds of sports, activities and games. We want to show that being healthy is fun!”
Children can be referred to the service by their parent/carer or any healthcare professional involved with the family, including their GP, paediatrician or school nurse.
Ben Anderson, a Public Health lead at NHS Sheffield, said:
“We’re really excited about being able to offer this new service to children and families in Sheffield which we hope will be a continuation of work we have been carrying out for some time now.
“Through the Sheffield Let’s Change4Life programme for example, we have been able to put the city at the forefront of the fight against childhood obesity, but we need to go further to reduce the levels of overweight and obesity in the city.
“The Zest for Health programme will ensure that children are able to access professional advice and support to make the necessary lifestyle changes to live long and healthy lives.”
The health risks to children and young people who are overweight or very overweight are significant and can lead to more serious health problems in later life.
Ben added:
“The National Child Measurement Programme has shown that the rate of childhood obesity is rising nationally and it has been a significant achievement for us to have reversed this trend in Sheffield. We hope to go further in supporting our population to achieve a sustainable healthy weight.”
For more information, including referral criteria and sessions: http://zestcommunity.co.uk/zest-for-health-childhood-obesity/zest-for-health-childhood-obesity
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