Healthy café open at Warragul Leisure Centre

The newly renovated Warragul Leisure Centre has remodelled its café and introduced a healthy choices menu to help reduce rising obesity levels in the Baw Baw community.

The new healthy café is now officially open to all members and guests.

The facility introduced the healthy café as part of YMCA Victoria’s ongoing commitment to improving the health and happiness of the Baw Baw Shire community.

The YMCA introduced an industry leading healthy food and beverage policy in 2014, with the aim of reducing rising levels of obesity in children and teenagers. The national health survey indicated 324,500 children (28.6%) are overweight or obese.

The policy has seen 14 tonnes of sugar removed from annual sales across YMCA managed facilities since its implementation. This change has not affected sales; customers have just made changes to their purchasing behaviour in favour of healthier options. YMCA Baw Baw Area Manager Chris Hargreaves is thrilled by the response of parents to the healthy café.

“The revolutionary change has been very well received from the Baw Baw community,” he said.

“We have received regular feedback from parents saying they’re happy to have some healthy food options to buy their children after they have spent the last couple of hours playing at the Centre.”

Mr Hargreaves is excited that YMCA Baw Baw Shire leisure facilities are playing their part to help meet the 2017 goal of completely removing all sugar-sweetened beverages and unhealthy food items from Centres.

The team at Warragul Leisure Centre look forward to sharing their new healthy café with the Baw Baw Shire community.