NHS Highland (North) follow an approach of health gain above weight loss, and define someone’s healthy weight as the weight they are at when they are living a healthy lifestyle. We encourage healthy relationships with food, healthy relationships with movement and activity, and healthy relationships with ourselves and those around us.
A healthy body for a child is one that, whatever shape, size or weight, feels good, has enough energy and grows in a way that is right for them. This will let the child be active and participate in life.
Eating well for children means having a varied diet that helps them grow, gives them energy and helps them feel good.
A varied diet for children should include, on a daily basis, lots of unprocessed good quality foods. This is food in its most natural form for example fruit and vegetable, unprocessed proteins (fish, meats, eggs, nuts, seeds and pulses), wholegrain starchy foods and dairy foods.
Whole Population Services
Community/school based interventions available to all.
Smart Starts
The Smart Start Programme has been carefully developed to equip all Early Learning and Childcare practitioners and parents with the tools and confidence to enjoy delivering a crucial aspect of all children’s learning and development. As practitioners and parents supporting children’s early development, you are in a position to make a significant positive difference to children’s lives and the choices they make later on. It is designed to show how food can have a positive influence on your health and wellbeing, rather than be a threat to it; and that physical activity and movement is primarily about having fun, rather than following and exercise regime.
High 5
High 5 is a Primary school based health and wellbeing programme delivered by the teacher. Lesson plans were developed by Health Improvement Specialists around Food and Nutrients, balanced meals, physical activity, Critical consumer skills, body confidence.
Active Play
Active Play is a fun and inclusive programme delivered in primary schools by local play charities designed to increase children’s levels of Physical activity and physical literacy. It encourages free-play, conflict resolution, inclusion of all abilities and development of self esteem and leadership skills.
For more information please contact the Care & Learning Alliance on 01463 222 569 or email at info@calachildcare.co.uk.
E-Learning Modules
NHSH in collaboration with Care And Learning Alliance (CALA) developed 3 e-learning modules. How We Eat, Healthy Body Image & Body Confidence and Child Healthy Weight. These are hosted on CALA’s eLearning site. They are free to access and available to all.
Children and Families Community Intervention
NHSH Child Healthy Weight group programmes for children and families, 1:1 support from health and social care professionals
What is the X Programme?
The X Programme will help you and your family to make good choices about how to improve your health and wellbeing.
It is 8 online meetings with a group and your trained group leader. The course includes helping children feel good about themselves, basic nutrition, building good relationships with food and your body, and enjoying being physically active
The X Programme is for any child between ages 2 and 16 (or sometimes up to 18) who have a high BMI or would like a better relationship with food can go.
You would be contacted by the group leader first and if appropriate, you will be offered a space on a course. Then you and your child would attend virtually (using a computer). This is a group intervention so other families might be there too.
You would attend 8 virtual sessions. These are interactive and should be fun for you and your family.
How to join:
- You can ask your GP, another doctor or healthcare worker to fill in a form to refer you
- OR phone the dietitians on 01463 705097 and a member of the team will fill in a form for you
- OR you can download and fill in the referral form
- OR you can visit the X programme website, download and complete a form: How to Refer – The X Programme
If you are under 12 years old, ask your parent or carer to fill in the form. You will need their permission to join.
If the child that you are worried about is over 12 years old, you will need their permission to join.
Give as much information as you are able to. This will help you to be offered the best programme for you.
Specialist Weight Management Service
Individual interventions and Dietetic led programmes with an enhanced behavioural component and access to other services as appropriate
What is the Y Programme?
Y is a programme that helps you and your family to make good choices about how to improve your health. It will help you and your family to decide how to eat healthier foods, move more, sleep well, and feel better about your body shape.
Y is a bit more specific support than X and is not run as a group – it is just one person or family. It is for you if you are a child, teenager, or young person, and your weight is much higher than average for your height.
Y is also for you if you also have a medical condition, physical disability or are anxious or worried about your size or if you feel that you have been lonely or treated differently because of your size (or if you have tried to change your body shape or size by going on a diet.) It is also for you if you are a parent or carer who is worried about your child, teenager or young person, or the child, teenager young person that you care for, and they live in the Highland area.
You will be offered an appointment with a dietitian by video call through a service called Near Me. Sometimes this can be a phone appointment if you feel more comfortable speaking on the phone. Your appointment will include just you, or you and your family and the dietitian, and not a group.
You will be sent instructions by post (or by email if you give us your email address) of how to join the video call with your dietitian. You will need a smart phone or another device for video calls. In your first appointment, you will talk to the dietitian about the programme and they will help you to decide if Y will work well for you. In following appointments, your dietitian will offer information that will help you and your family to decide if and how you can eat, move, think and feel differently, and you can talk to your dietitian about making a plan that will work for you.
How to join
- You can ask your GP, another doctor or healthcare worker to fill in a form to refer you.
- OR phone the dietitians on 01463 705097 and a member of the team will fill in a form for you.
- OR you can download and fill in the referral form.
If you are under 12 years old, ask your parent or carer to fill in the form.
You will need their permission to join Y.
If the child that you are worried about is over 12 years old, you will need their permission to join Y.
Give as much information as you are able to.
This will help us to offer you the programme that suits you best.
