Adopting a Holistic Approach to Children's Health
24/10/2006

As the UK is granted the official title of fattest country in Europe and obesity rates in adults reach a staggering 24%, with those in six year old children soaring to 10%, addressing the nation's attitudes to health has never been more important. Getting the balance right for kids has to lie in involving the parents too, says Bill Duncan of Fifth Dimension.

"In a similar vein to Jamie Oliver's School Dinners, if we are to have a hope of changing children's attitudes to health to reverse the worrying problem of childhood obesity, parents need to be involved from the outset, in order that they can implement the appropriate changes in their children's lives," he says.

Health risks associated with obesity are widespread and include a host of conditions such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, asthma and mobility problems to name but a few, which can in turn lead to deep vein thrombosis and arthritis. A recent survey found that the fattest place in the UK was Boston in Lincolnshire, with almost one in three of the population clinically obese.

Fifth Dimension has already gone some way to targeting the adult world through a recent enterprise set up in March 2006. They entered into a joint venture with Optimise Your Assets and APS Training and Assessments to present a dynamic workshop aimed at promoting health and teamwork in the workplace.

"The workshop has been designed to assist staff in understanding the benefits of teamwork as well as to promote the importance of a healthy lifestyle and the connotations that this can have for the workplace," explains Bill. "The workshop also provides nutritional tips, advice on effective communication, tips on combating stress and relaxation techniques. The adults who have attended our healthy teams session are encouraged to pass the relevant messages on to their children wherever possible.

"We have frequently worked with children in schools to conduct sessions on teamwork and communication, but were recently asked to adapt one of our sessions to include relevant health messages for primary school children and their parents during the schools health week.

"The issues we addressed with primary seven pupils included physical fitness, healthy eating and mental well being, and their equal importance, as well as how small changes can lead to big benefits. We also introduced the idea of families working together as a team towards a healthier future for themselves, in terms of making group decisions and working together to reach their common goal," adds Bill.

"The good news is that evidence suggests it is much easier to change a child's eating and exercise habits than it is to alter an adult's. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and changing eating habits to cut out sugary snacks will go a long way to tackling the problem, as will reducing periods of physical inactivity," says Bill.


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