In a bid to encourage obese
families to stop eating junk food, health officials have decided to offer a
free 10-week course on nutrition and better eating. The course aims at
embedding a healthy lifestyle and reducing health problems later in life.
They will take obese people across
local supermarkets and teach them about buying healthy food. During these
shopping trips obese people will be urged to replace sugary and fatty food with
fruits and vegetables. Youngsters will be urged to read food labels and investigate
the contents of food products. They will be given lessons regarding how to
maintain a balanced diet.
The initiative will cost about 400
pounds but will help to tackle the alarming rise in dangerously overweight
children. This course is launched by 'Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...Do It!'
and is funded by the NHS. It will be
offered to low incomes families in Manchester's Wythenshawe, Gorton and
Harpurhey areas. About 30 families, who have obese children between 7-13 years,
are expected to sign up for this course. It is expected that this scheme
will help reduce the levels of child obesity; and boost the energy levels of
and increase the self esteem of children.