11 July 2013

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

MID Sussex District Council is giving local families the chance to lose weight and feel great this summer by signing up for a free health and fitness course.

The Mid Sussex Wellbeing team and Freedom Leisure are offering free Family Weight Management courses to local families with a child who is above their ideal weight. Spaces are available now and with the summer holidays just around the corner this is the perfect time to sign up, get active, and make the most of the sunny weather.

The Family Weight Management course is an exciting and fun scheme where qualified instructors give local families expert one-to-one advice on healthy eating and taking new forms of exercise. The course, run over 10 sessions, is carefully tailored to the needs of the individual family and is scheduled at a time which suits them.

The free initiative is based on the principle that small changes in lifestyle can have a big impact on health. The basic goals of the course are to:

• support families who are looking to eat more healthily
• increase confidence
• increase fitness and activity levels
• support children and adults to achieve and maintain a healthy weight

“Modern families have so many demands on their time, it is no surprise that many find it difficult to squeeze in enough exercise or to find the space in their schedule to prepare healthy meals,” said Councillor Christopher Snowling, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Community. “It’s not easy, but sometimes a fresh pair of eyes, a creative way of looking at things and some expert knowledge can make a real difference and that’s why our Family Weight Management courses are so successful.

“Our trained fitness experts can offer advice on how to fit exercise around the busiest schedule and it doesn’t matter what your level of fitness, they are able to devise a specific exercise programme that is tailored just for you. I urge anybody who might be considering joining the scheme to do so because it has the potential to change lives, not just now but for years to come. Childhood is the perfect time to develop good habits because they are likely to stay with you into adulthood and make a real difference to your long term health in the future.”

Sessions are run from local leisure centres at the Triangle, Burgess Hill, Kings Centre, East Grinstead and the Dolphin, Haywards Heath. However, if a family cannot reach one of the three centres then sessions can be provided in any location that is considered safe and accessible by the instructor and the family.

Any parents who have concerns about their child’s weight and are interested in taking part in the Family Weight Management programme can contact the Mid Sussex Wellbeing team by calling 01444 477191 or emailing info@midsussexwellbeing.org.uk. Referrals with parental consent may also be made by GPs, Practice Nurses, School Nurses, Health Visitors and Parent Support Teams.