Fighting obesity through lifestyle
‘‘We’ve become a generation of too much – it’s not just about one lollipop any more.’’ Yvonne Anderson, right
Aprogramme designed to give children with obesity a healthier lifestyle has seen its lead author shortlisted for a Women of Influence award.
Dr Yvonne Anderson, a paediatrician at Taranaki District Health Board, helped start Wha¯ nau Pakari, which means ‘‘healthy self-assured families that are fully active’’, in a bid to take healthcare out of hospitals and into homes and communities.
‘‘I think it’s important that we have a shift away from an assumption that anyone with weight issues has simply sat on the couch and eaten the wrong foods. It’s much more complex than that,’’ she said.
‘‘As a society and a community we need to keep working to ensure the healthy choice is the easy choice.’’
As a paediatrician, obesity is the most common condition she comes across in her practice. ‘‘I’ve got a real passion for working to improve the health and wellbeing of all children.
‘‘In 2010 I was asked to start a service for children struggling with weight issues.
‘‘From my past experience working in the UK, what I’d seen from services here as well, it was clear that the hospital model wasn’t working for children and their families, and what we were hearing was it really wasn’t what families wanted.’’
At Wha¯ nau Pakari, a joint venture of the health board and Sport Taranaki, health professionals used a ‘‘community-based, familycentred approach’’ to achieving healthy lifestyle change, in a way that was accessible and appropriate for all, she said.
‘‘We were going to need robust outcome data to prove whether the service was working, so we created a clinical trial within the service.
‘‘We found many of our children affected with weight issues already had weightrelated health indicators that if left unchecked would lead to health problems.’’
But those who took part had ‘‘modest reductions’’ in weight status after 12 months, and those who attended weekly activity sessions, more than 70 per cent of the time, had double that.
‘‘We’ve now had more than 800 referrals and the programme has replaced the old model of working.’’
But more was still needed, she said. ‘‘One of the things we’ve learned is that children and young people live in families, and families live in communities, so while these families may be working really hard to make healthy lifestyle changes, these changes won’t be persistent if the environment around them is obesitypromoting.
‘‘So there’s still work to be done to improve the physical and food environments in Taranaki – and nationally – and that’s ongoing.’’
They are keen to expand the programme in the region, she said. ‘‘Making sure that we have a shift back to moderation – we’ve become a generation of too much – it’s not just about one lollipop any more.
‘‘So trying to shift away from a food-based reward system for children will be part of the work.’’
She was grateful to her health board team, Sport Taranaki and the Liggins Institute, which assisted with the clinical trial.
‘‘I feel privileged to work in medicine and, in paediatrics, no one day is like the next.
‘‘Families and children are our greatest teachers, and they keep me connected to what it’s all about.’’
The Women of Influence winners will be announced on September 18. For tickets and for more information about the Women of Influence Forum visit womenofinfluence.co.nz.