A RAFT of information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle is to be sent to the parents of year six pupils in Waveney along with letters telling them if their children are a healthy weight.

A RAFT of information about how to lead a healthy lifestyle is to be sent to the parents of year six pupils in Waveney along with letters telling them if their children are a healthy weight.

During the next few weeks, NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney will write to the parents of 10 and 11-year-olds in Waveney whose height and weight was measured in March as part of the National Child Measurement Programme. The letter will let parents know the results, and will be accompanied by a leaflet full of tips on healthy eating, easy ways to fit activity into everyday life and where to go locally for more support.

The move comes following a change in national policy which will see results sent direct to families across the country. It is hoped the initiative will aid parents in helping their child maintain a healthy weight while raising awareness of the steps they can take to live a healthier lifestyle.

Dr Alistair Lipp, NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney's Director of Public Health, said: "We are committed to supporting families to help their children move towards a healthy weight, as being overweight seriously damages people's health. In children, this can lead to major problems later in life, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

"Changing our behaviour and the way we live our lives is not easy, but there is plenty of support available to help families do just that. We have a number of initiatives in place to encourage healthy eating and exercise, all of which are free and can make a real difference. Some of these are tailored specifically towards children, such as MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition… Do it!) and Activ8 It Plus, and are proven to work extremely well.

"We would encourage anyone who would like extra help to lead a healthier lifestyle to get in touch. You can visit our website, at www.gywpct.nhs.uk for details of the schemes we run or contact our Healthy Life team on 01493 859205 or by email at gyw-pct.healthylife@nhs.net"

Marisa Fox, tem leader of NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney's school nursing team, said: "Giving parents information about their child's measurements is really important, as it can help raise their awareness of potential problems so that they can take positive steps to change their lifestyles.

"A huge range of help is available both inside and out of school. We would urge parents who are interested in accessing these initiatives, which include sports and activity clubs, to ask their school nurse for more information."

A raft of information about healthy lifestyle initiatives running across the area, including the MEND programme and the work of the Community Nutrition Team, is available by visiting www.gywpct.nhs.uk and clicking on the "healthy lives" tab.

Alternatively, you can ask for advice from your school nurse or find out more by visiting www.nhs.uk/change4life or www.nhs.uk or www.sspwebsites.co.uk or www.netmums.com