A Healthy Balance: Victorians Responding to Obesity

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A Healthy Balance Victorians Responding to
Obesity

• Professor Frank Oberklaid
• Centre for Community Child Health

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Communities and families

• Assist families to modify lifestyle
• reduce sedentary activities and increase physical
  activity
• alter food choices and eating patterns
• Support communities to support parents
• environments and settings
• role of professionals
• Long term, multifaceted comprehensive approach

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Supporting parents

• Recognition of obesity and consequences
• More conscious of nutrition/food choices
• Long term reshaping of food preferences and
  lifestyle choices - understanding of role
  modelling
• Accessible information and concrete step by step
  plan for change - modest goals
• Avoid blame - not function of poor parenting

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Strategies for child

• Reduce/limit sedentary activities - TV, computer
  games
• Increase physical activity - does not have to be
  structured exercises or sport
• Dont use food as reward
• Smaller portions
• Limit/change nature of between food snacking
• Behaviour modification techniques

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Supporting communities

• Settings approach - influence child care,
  preschool, school
• Safe environments that facilitate activity
• Identify barriers to outdoor play and activities
• Professional role - supporting parents, early
  identification and management
• Community capacity building

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