PARENTS of year six pupils living in Great Yarmouth and Waveney are to receive a wealth of information on leading a healthy lifestyle along with letters telling them if their children are a healthy weight.

PARENTS of year six pupils living in Great Yarmouth and Waveney are to receive a wealth of information on leading a healthy lifestyle along with letters telling them if their children are a healthy weight.

During the next two months, ten and 11-year-olds in schools across Great Yarmouth and Waveney will have their height and weight measured as part of the National Child Measurement Programme. NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney will then write to parents giving them the results, along with information on healthy eating, easy ways to fit activity into everyday life and where to go locally for more support.

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: “Being overweight can seriously damage people's health, while leading to major problems later in life, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

“We are committed to supporting families to help their children move towards a healthy weight, and have a number of free initiatives in place to encourage healthy eating and exercise. 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 to find out how we can help.”

Results are now sent directly to parents following a change in national policy. The move comes after research showed that the majority of parents would like to receive the information, either because it may help them monitor their child's health or work as a general aid to understanding healthy weight.

Further research shows that most parents of children who are above their ideal weight think that their child is healthy, with only ten per cent of describing their child as overweight.

More information about healthy lifestyle initiatives running across Great Yarmouth and Waveney is available by visiting www.gywpct.nhs.uk and clicking on the “healthy lives” tab. Alternatively, contact the Healthy Life team on 01493 859205 or by email at gyw-pct.healthylife@nhs.net.