Until now reserved for overweight adults, the Physical Activities and Body Ease Group (Gapac) is opening a niche for 10-17 year olds. Two trial sessions are offered on October 14 and 21. The idea is to restore self-confidence to young people suffering from obesity and to support their care.
By C. F. – 05:00 | updated at 1:35 p.m.
Obesity is a major public health problem in France. Last spring, Inserm’s conclusions were explicit: one in two French people are overweight and 17% obese. The proportion of 18-24 year olds has quadrupled over the past twenty years and now represents 9.2% of young obese people.
In Thionville for more than thirty years, a discreet association has been carrying out essential work: getting people affected by overweight and obesity moving. Code name : Gapac, acronym for Physical Activities and Body Ease Group. Until now reserved for adults, the sessions will now be open to young people aged 10 to 17.
Emmanuelle Sedki is the new president. Dietitian at CHR Metz-Thionville, she observes the upward curve of obesity among the youngest. And she decided to act. “We responded to a call for projects from the French Federation of Sport for All, which gave us a grant of almost €1,500 to offer these activity slots suitable for teenagers aged 10 and over.”
Trial sessions, first
The sessions are scheduled for Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the La Fontaine gymnasium (Côte des Roses). The first will take place this October 14 and will be considered a trial session; the following Saturday too. “We just ask parents to be present. We will truly be in the discovery; the idea is to give back a taste for effort to these young people who are struggling with their bodies; make them understand that it is possible to start moving again.”
The association has a professional to supervise participants: Sarah Kuhn holds a master’s degree in certified physical activity for health. “The aim of these sessions is to offer physical activities adapted to people and not the other way around. Usually, in a club or even in a school environment, you are pushed to compete, to perform… Here, it’s quite the opposite,” she explains. It will offer three workshops: basketball, handball and athletics. “I will set up small exercises; everything is done in a fun way. The objective is also to provide personalized support to everyone.”
Gapac is giving itself a little time to gauge the success of this new niche. Ultimately, he also wants to offer activities suitable for children under 10 years old.
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