Fighting childhood obesity

By BARBARA WARD

Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming a worldwide epidemic. Its effects are devastating and, according to children’s exercise instructor Barbara Hill, it can cause serious physical, emotional, social and medical consequences.

Illnesses previously only seen in adults including heart disease and type 2 diabetes are now being diagnosed in children.

Barbara, of Weston, who is also a nutrition and lifestyle coach and personal trainer, has developed a programme called Fun Fit Families, which aims to help parents prevent obesity within their family.

She says there are several simple effective steps that parents and carers can take to help prevent obesity:
l Encourage your child to eat a healthy breakfast each day. This will give them the energy they need and enable them to concentrate at school.

l Encourage your child to drink at least 6-8 cups of water a day. Look out for added sugars in children’s fruit juice drinks.
l Try not to use food as a reward. This can teach unhealthy behaviour.

l Try to be a good role model to your child, eat healthy food in front of your child and limit access to unhealthy foods.
l Eat together as a family at the table.

l Involve your child in pre paring and cooking food.

l Give your child lots of praise when you see them eating healthily.

Barbara says that exercise also plays an important part in a healthy lifestyle.

“Government guidelines advise that children should exercise for one hour each day,” she said.

“This could include walking to and from school and normal playground games. Time in front of the TV and computer screen should be limited.”

Barbara has been running a successful children’s obesity prevention programme in Mansfield and has now received money from the Adult Community Learning Service to deliver a similar programme in Newark starting this month at Hawtonville Children’s Centre on Monday afternoons.

The programme will be expanded throughout the year and Barbara will work in partnership with schools to offer it to all parents in the Newark area.

For details contact Barbara Hill on 07913 874562.

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