Child obesity initiative seeks Hackney volunteers

A national charity working to tackle child obesity in Hackney is on the hunt for local volunteers.

Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young, or HENRY, and parental support charity Family Lives are running a programme throughout Hackney, where obesity in young children is above the national average.

Kim Roberts, Chief Executive, HENRY says, ‘This is a really exciting project where we will be able to support families to give their young children a healthy start through trained volunteers from within their own community’.

According to the latest figures from the National Child Measurement Programme more than one in four children in Hackney is overweight or obese (27.2 per cent) by the time they reach reception age compared to the national average of 22.5 per cent.

By the time they reach Year 6 (10 – 11 years old) an even greater proportion of children in Hackney, 40.4 per cent compared to the national average of 33.5 per cent, are overweight or obese.

The charity delivers a structured one-to-one programme over eight weeks together with families. It builds parents’ knowledge, skills and confidence by teaching them about healthy lifestyles, emotional well-being, healthy eating patterns and physical activity.

Child obesity has led to the rise of health issues in children such as diabetes type II, previously considered an adult disease. The emotional consequences of obesity in childhood can be severe and long-lasting, including bullying, low self-esteem and social exclusion.

Research shows that 80 per cent of obese children will go on to be obese adults.

The programme seeks local volunteers in Hackney to work directly with families. Volunteers need to be able to commit to working with families for at least three hours per week and will receive five days’ training to become Healthy Start Mentors.

Families with children under five years old can self-refer onto the programme.

Any parents or professionals who have concerns that a child is at risk of obesity should contact HENRY.