Izzy makes gains with active life
Izzy Foulds used to pick out the vegetables from her meals; now she tells her mum to buy them.
It is a far cry from last year, when a routine health check found the 4-year-old was unhealthily overweight.
The ‘‘very lovely’’ nurse told Izzy’s mother, Sarah Foulds, her daughter was ‘‘a bit on the heavier side’’.
The news was not a complete surprise.
Foulds had already seen signs Izzy might be following in her footsteps.
‘‘I’ve always been a bigger person so when I saw my daughter getting bigger, going into size seven clothing ... I thought: something needs to change because if it doesn’t she’s going to be me; and I didn’t want that,’’ Foulds said.
Children found to have obesity at B4 School Checks are referred for help under a government screening programme launched last year.
In the six months from November 2016 to May, the checks identified 174 out of 2768 screened Canterbury children (6 per cent) as being obese. Of those, 131 children were referred to their GP. Seventy-seven were referred to a lifestyle programme, of which 34 engaged.
Foulds chose Active Families, a six-month support programme that included a weekly one-on-one appointment with co-ordinator Justin Mitchell.
Since getting a licence and buying a car two years ago the pair became less active, often opting to drive rather than walk to Izzy’s kindergarten.
Along with regulation sandwiches and fruit, several sugary, packaged snacks were included in Izzy’s lunchbox.
Her dinner portions were adult sized. ‘‘I was a junk food child growing up so my body always craved it,’’ Foulds said.
Three months since meeting Mitchell, Izzy greets him with a rugby tackle style hug around the knees.
The lifestyle changes started gently with visits to the local playground.
Mitchell then raised the bar, taking Izzy and Foulds to the park with some equipment including cones, hurdles and balls. The balls won out.
She loved kicking them against trees and seeing how many kicks it took to get across the field.
She is now enrolled with Little Kickers and developing her football skills with other children each Saturday.
Cucumber, carrots and eggs have become acceptable snacks, the large dinner portions have been downsized and sausages are only eaten every few months.
‘‘Before she would pick out all the vegetables – now she actually tells me to buy them,’’ Foulds said. What made the difference? ‘‘I think it’s having someone else come in and explain what’s good for you, what’s not good for you.’’
Parents of 24 children identified as obese in beforeschool checks declined a referral to a GP, Canterbury District Health Board planning and funding manager Carolyn Gullery said.
Eleven families declined the lifestyle programme service, while 33 families had not decided or could not be contacted, she said.
Mitchell works with 19 families and 43 children.
He has three children and understands the challenges parents face to keep their kids active and healthy.
His mission is to engage everyone in the household.
‘‘It really is about the whole family – the children are a product of their environment.’’