A local programme to support overweight young people and their families is working well, a new study has revealed.
The study published this week in the journal Obesity says a community-based weight management programme is a success.
The MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition … Do It!) programme is a free 10-week, after-school weight management course where overweight children and their families learn how to eat healthily and enjoy physical activity.
Pembroke School is currently running a MEND programme in the town for children aged 7 – 13.
One hundred and sixteen children across the UK aged between eight and 12 took part in the study, which involved attending a nine week MEND programme, followed by 12-weeks of free family swimming between January 2005 and January 2007.
Funded in Wales by the Welsh Assembly Government, the new Pembroke programme will be delivered by officers from Sport Pembrokeshire – the County Council’s sports development arm – Pembrokeshire Youth and by staff at Public Health Wales.
The study showed that participants in the programme lost weight, lowered their BMI and waist circumference, and improved their self esteem and physical activity levels. Their general health, including cardiovascular fitness, also improved.
Fifteen thousand families across the UK have benefited from the MEND programme since it was first set up in 2004. Today 350 MEND programmes are delivered across the UK every term.
Helen Stewart, MEND Programme Manager for Pembrokeshire said: “This new study provides solid evidence that the MEND Programme helps children lose weight and keep it off, as well as improving their self-esteem.”
“It also proves that teaching children how to keep fit and eat healthily, like we do on the MEND Programme, does work if done in the right way.”
As well as its current programme in Pembroke, MEND aims to run three more schemes throughout the County to ensure more children in the area can benefit.
The independent Obesity study was conducted by a team at University College London Institute of Child Health (ICH). It is the first randomised controlled trial in the UK to investigate the benefits of a community-based child weight management programme.
Professor Atul Singhal, paediatrician and head of clinical trials in the Childhood Nutrition Research Centre at ICH, said: “These results suggest that the MEND programme helps overweight and obese children lose weight. They also show that child weight management programmes have a positive effect on a child’s health and so could help to address the rising obesity problem in children.”
For more information or to register for a MEND Programme in Pembrokeshire call the Programme Manager, Helen on 07958 438785 freephone 0800 230 0263 or visit www.mendcentral.org
