CDHB Supports New Healthy Eating And Exercise Programme For Children

The Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) is supporting a new programme being run by the Te Puna Whaiora Glenelg Children’s Health Camp to encourage overweight children and their families to eat healthily and exercise regularly.

Twenty children, aged from eight to 13, are part of the five-week programme, called New Image, which began this week at the health camp in St Martin’s, Christchurch. The children have been referred to the camp from across Canterbury, the West Coast and Marlborough.

CDHB Dietitian Janne Pasco, from the Community Action to Improve Nutrition Capacity (CATINC) project, has worked with health camp staff to design the menus for the children. She is also running two one-week programmes for parents, which include information about basic nutrition, healthy eating on a budget, healthy snacks and label reading.

Sport Canterbury staff are holding sessions for the children on weekdays, with the ultimate aim of encouraging them to enjoy physical activity while they are at the camp and after they return home.

CDHB Psychologist Tony White is also working with parents to help them anticipate and think about some of the psychological and physical barriers they and their children may encounter after the camp has finished.

Allen Gibbs, Regional Manager for the Te Puna Whaiora Glenelg Children’s Health Camp, said although the camp had worked with overweight children on an individual basis before, it was the first time a group of children had taken part in the New Image programme.

He said it was important parents were involved so they and their children were equipped with the skills to continue eating healthily and exercising regularly after they had returned home.

“The programme gives children the opportunity to see how things can be different, an opportunity to try new activities and new foods. By involving their parents, we can hopefully encourage them to make long-term lifestyle changes that will support their children.”

Evon Currie, General Manager of the CDHB’s Community and Public Health division, said the programme was a great example of how children and their families could be encouraged to make small changes to their lifestyle that would be sustainable and have long lasting effects. “It’s wonderful to see the children’s health camp taking such a holistic view and looking at the children’s broader environment.”

ENDS