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Outreach Lifestyles programs PDF Print

Healthy & Active Families

This program empowers parents within a school to take collective affirmative action, through strategies developed to ensure the best possible choices for their children's health. It can operate in any community where improved health and wellness of children and young people is sought.

What is the OzChild Outreach Lifestyles program?

The Lifestyles Program is a parent program developed by OzChild based on healthy lifestyles through nutrition and exercise.

Lifestyles offers two programs

  1. Mainstream program (Healthy & Active Families)
  2. Indigenous program designed specifically for the Australian Indigenous community.

The Lifestyles program aims for sustainable behavioural change through transforming community attitudes towards nutrition and exercise. It empowers parents to make better choices for their family's health by developing a charter for action.

The objectives of the programs are to

  • enable parents and communities to informally support one another and together consider and develop a lifestyle charter that consists of personal, school and community based action goals - these goals can be used to improve healthy lifestyle opportunities for their children, the school and community;
  • address the problems of childhood obesity and to support the relevant national and state department's policies and programs for students from low socio-economic and Indigenous backgrounds
  • encourage the wider community to adopt the charter strategies and to promote healthier living
  • promote awareness of the risk factors that contribute to childhood obesity and can lead to the early onset of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

What will be involved?

  • The mainstream program is implemented in the school setting and includes workshop sessions and home based fun activities. Recommended program delivery: 2hourly sessions x 4 weeks.
  • The Indigenous program is usually implemented into the community setting (in conjunction with a community centre or similar). Recommended program delivery: on 2 day sessions.
  • Program content is based on identified needs through consultation with schools and communities. Topics include current research and trends, healthy food options, fitness and exercise tips, healthy living through pregnancy, reading food labels, easy / healthy recipes and cooking demonstrations.
  • The program is tailored to suit the audience
  • The parent program is non-threatening, interactive and fun
  • All materials are supplied.

Comments we've received about the program

From parents

"..A great way to share ideas"

"'..You can always learn something. I was not as educated as I thought.."

"..Through this program I am now more aware of foods to watch out for. I have gained knowledge on healthy living and I am happy that I participated in this program.."

From principals

"This program was very popular and we had a record number of parents attending. This is very encouraging as our school finds it difficult to engage parents in school activities."

"The presenter delivered creative presentations, which were hands on and involved our parents, most of whom have limited English. Her creativity, resourcefulness and ability to adapt the sessions really made these presentations distinctive and successful."

"The resources the parents received were very much appreciated. The parents enjoyed having tasks to complete prior to each session and took these tasks seriously."

"Feedback from the parents was very positive. They enjoyed the program and found it very informative and worthwhile. The messages they received will help them make more informed choices for their children and make a long life difference to their lifestyles."

For further information and bookings please contact the Program Coordinator.

For further information on healthy lifestyles a link is provided by VicHealth, the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation and Go For Your Life,  a Victorian Government initiative which aims to promote healthy eating and increase levels of physical activity.