Zwolle – The number of overweight children in Zwolle can be further reduced. From this year on, the whole family will be followed to see if there are issues that need to be tackled first, such as poverty or problems in the family. For this, care providers are deployed who work together with the entire chain of care and support for the family.
Michiel van Willigen (Alderman for Youth and Health Policy): “With this approach, Kind to Healthier Weight, everyone works together to tackle underlying problems in the family. You also tackle overweight and obesity in children by keeping an eye on the situation in which the child lives. Then we can continue with diets, sports and psychologists to work on a stronger self-image and a healthy lifestyle. This approach works well, but often the breeding ground is missing in the family or children copy an unhealthy lifestyle of the parents.”
No plasters, but a longer commitment to multidisciplinary support of the family. As a result, more children participate and the results are better in the long run Michael van Willegen
Self image
The number of overweight children in Zwolle is up to fourteen percent for children in group 7 of primary education. The consequences are huge. Young people who are overweight see their healthy life expectancy decrease by almost five years later. Overweight also puts pressure on the costs of care and problems arise with bullying, self-image or depression. During corona it turned out that being overweight is an extra risk.
Ketenaanpak
Research has shown that being overweight is not only a matter of more exercise and a healthy diet, but also coaching aimed at participation, self-esteem and feeling good about yourself. Zwolle is successfully applying the ‘combined lifestyle intervention’ under the name Cool 2B Fit. But sometimes families are still too busy with other problems to want or be able to participate. With the chain approach from Kind to Healthier Weight, the municipality, together with parties such as the GGD and the social district teams, lend a helping hand in this regard as well.
Michiel van Willigen: “No plasters, but a longer commitment to multidisciplinary support for the family. As a result, more children participate and the results are better in the long run.”
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