New Look web site to help child live healthy and active lives

Hunter New England Health is encouraging parents to use a new-look Healthy Kids website which will make it easier for NSW parents, teachers and health professionals to access resources to help children eat healthier and be more active.

NSW Health Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the Healthy Kids website forms part of the $12 million that NSW is allocating to tackle the epidemic of childhood overweight and obesity.

“Healthy Kids is unique in Australia in terms of being a joint website for all the state government programs and campaigns relating to sound nutrition and physical activity advice for children and young people,” Dr Chant said.

“Since its launch, there has been significant progress in healthy eating, physical activity and obesity prevention initiatives in NSW as evidenced in the latest SPANS survey which suggests that childhood overweight and obesity is levelling out. However the rates of obesity amongst children are still too high and we need to do more to reduce these rates.”

Hunter New England Population Health Director Karen Gillham says the Healthy Kids website will be an exciting new resource for parents in the Hunter, New England and Lower Mid North Coast areas who already have access to material through the Good for Kids. Good for Life. program.

“The Healthy Kids website complements the key messages of the Good for Kids. Good for Life. program, which is about being physically active every day, choosing water as a drink and eating more fruits and vegetables,” Ms Gillham said.

“Providing lots of easily accessible information from many different sources will really help to reinforce to parents the importance of a healthy lifestyle from a very young age.”

The Good for Kids. Good for Life. program includes a comprehensive website, along with a variety of other supporting initiatives in schools, children’s services, sporting clubs and the wider community.

The new Healthy Kids website provides further support to the program, giving parents further advice from health experts to help their children stay healthy and happy.

The Healthy Kids website was developed in 2006 in response to the 2002 NSW Childhood Obesity Summit and is a priority in the NSW Government’s Plan for preventing childhood overweight and obesity. The website has recently undergone a major redesign to reposition it as the primary information portal in NSW for healthy eating, physical activity and prevention of childhood obesity.

The website is a joint initiative of NSW Health, the Department of Education and Training, and Communities NSW, as well as the NSW Division of the National Heart Foundation.

“The site has proven to be popular for key users, particularly parents, carers, teachers and health professionals.  The website upgrade has resulted in a fresh new look and feel, easy navigation, the latest information and engaging, interactive features for children,” Dr Chant said.

According to the NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition survey 2010, the following key findings were:

·         Overweight and obesity rates among children appear to have plateaued at 22.8 per cent.

·         Between 2004 and 2010 the combined rate of overweight and obesity amongst boys decreased for all year groups except kindergarten and year 2.

·         Less than half of the students met the recommended daily intake of vegetables.

·         Less than two-thirds (63 per cent) of students in years six, eight and 10 met the Australian physical activity guidelines during summer terms, and only half in winter.

·         Only 20 per cent of the parents of kindergarten and years two and four children know what level of activity is recommended for children

·         On a usual week day, students in kindergarten and those in years two and four spend approximately three to 3.5 hours in sedentary behaviour outside of school hours.

·         On a usual weekend day students in kindergarten and those in years 2 and 4 spend approximately 5.5 to 6.5 hours in sedentary behaviours, and those in years 6, 8 and 10 spend 5.5 to 9 hours in such behaviours.

The new Healthy Kids website has nine fact sheets for families to download and there are also five new fact sheets which have been designed specifically for children. It includes sound advice on assessing a child’s weight status and on safe ways to work towards a healthy weight.

“In addition to existing information, the upgraded website will incorporate important initiatives designed to tackle childhood obesity. For example, there is detailed information about Munch and Move, a healthy eating and physical activity program for the NSW early childhood sector,” Dr Chant added.

The Healthy Kids website can be accessed at www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au

Contact: Kylie Young

Phone: 4942 6299