Life Education: ‘Unprecedented’ anti-obesity push targets 200,000 NSW primary school kids

CHILDREN in some of the most obesity-riddled regions in the state will be targeted as part of an “unprecedented” new strategy aimed at breaking the cycle.

St Johns Park students Melina Shrestha, Jayden Khamsisavatdy and Sadan Bayati. Picture: Jonathan Ng

CHILDREN in some of the most obesity-riddled regions in the state will be targeted as part of an “unprecedented” new strategy aimed at breaking the cycle.

Life Education has launched a primary school program to more than 200,000 children across of need like Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Central Coast.

CEO Kellie Sloane said prevention was “critical” and the rollout of the new program, which received $1 million from the government, was “unprecedented” in the organisation’s history.

It comes as the state aims to reduce the number of overweight children by five per cent within the next decade.

“We really want to ensure that the children in the areas with the highest needs are not having the same problems the generations above them are having,” Ms Sloane said.

The new program uses 3D animation and teaches children how to read nutrition labels and look out for warning signs like high sugar content.

Educator Lisa Woodward primary school was a “critical age” and education was key because “big food companies aren’t going to regulate themselves”.

“We’ve got a whole generation of children who have been having processed foods in their lunch boxes and the first ingredient that comes up is sugar,” she said.

“This is about getting them young and empowering them to make healthier choices.”

In southwest Sydney 27 per cent of 12 to 17 year olds are overweight or obese, the highest rate in the city, while 36,000 people are diagnosed with diabetes each year in Australia.

St Johns Park Public School, in Sydney’s southwest, was one of the first to try the program this week.

“We do our best at the school to educate our student … but this helps to complement it,” Principal Dianne Donatiello said.