Deakin University: HSN738 Nutrition Transition Program for Children

This report details a nutrition transition program designed to address childhood obesity. It begins with a background on the global increase in childhood obesity and the need for effective interventions, referencing existing programs like Go4Fun and PEACH in Australia. The report outlines a pilot program targeting children aged 2-6, incorporating education, nutritional strategies (balanced diets, portion control), and physical activity. The educational strategy involves integrating healthy lifestyle education into the curriculum and holding parent sessions. Nutritional strategies emphasize balanced meals and smart eating habits. Physical activity is promoted in schools and at home. The program's timeline and cost-effectiveness are discussed, referencing related studies. The stakeholders include community nurses, nutrition advisors, school teachers, family members, and physiotherapists. The evaluation will involve stakeholders and parents to assess the program's effectiveness. The report concludes with recommendations for the program's implementation and sustainability.

Running head: NUTRITION TRANSITION PROGRAM TARGETED AT CHILDREN
Nutrition Transition program targeted at children
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s name

1NUTRITION TRANSITION PROGRAM TARGETED AT CHILDREN
Background
A series of changes in nutrition and the dietary condition is typical of human history.
Over the last three decades, this rate of change has greatly accelerated. Great changes in diet and
physical activity, particularly their form and general appearance, have occurred over time. The
dietary effects such as height and body composition reflect these shifts. In addition, these
differences are simultaneous to transitions in quality of life and health status, and also significant
population and socio-economic changes. The world has seen a remarkable shift in dietary
behaviours, patterns of physical activity and inactivity, composition of the body, and prevalence
of different diseases. These relate very much to the nutritional transition associated with changes
in consumed foods and beverages, along with reduced physical activity.
The transition to nutrition represents the shift in diet and energy consumption coinciding
with changes in economics, populations and epidemiology. The concept is used primarily for
transition from traditional high grain and fiber diets in developing countries to more western
style nutritional diets with high levels of sugar, fat and animal-source food. The definition of
Dietary Change, complex changes in food consumption and the habits of physical activity, and of
obesity and other metabolic non-communicable diseases were developed by Barry Popkin.
Estimated 69 per cent of adults are overweight or obese, with more than 78 million adult
Americans deemed obese, as per the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys
(NHANES). Kids are also getting heavier. Over the last 30 years, children aged 2 to 5 have more
than increased obesity rates, nearly tripled in teenagers between 6 and 11 and more than double
the age of 12 to 19. Researchers discovered that the worldwide levels of overweight and obesity

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among adults have risen by 27.5 per cent over the last 33 years, although these rates in children
and adolescents have risen by 47.1 per cent.
In Australia, Go4Fun and PEACH are the two main weight management programs aimed for the
management of weight of the children. The Go4Fun is a free program for the children New
South Wales who are of age of 7 to 13 who are above a healthy weight. The following program
is managed by the health and community professionals. This program was established in the year
2011 and since then it is helping the Australian families and children to make the lifestyle better.
Parenting, Eating and Activity for Child Health (PEACH) is another weight management
program. The PEACH program was established in the year 2013. This is a 6 month long weight
management program which consists of 10 sessions. This program was established in response to
the weight statistics of Queensland, where it was observed that over the past 30 years one in four
children were obese. This, program has always been effective in managing and helping the
families and children to manage the weight.
According to a various literature, there is a compelling need to move on the issue of
obesity, however, there is a significant gap between types and amount of evidence considered
appropriate as the rationale for intervention, and the types and amount of resources capable of
meeting that need. A research was conducted to search for the research gaps in the study of
obesity. The researchers found four main research gaps1. There is a lack in the study of the
mechanisms and pathways fundamental to the link among food insecurity and obesity. There is a
lack in the study of the effect of food insecurity on pregnant females, children, and other
susceptible people. There is also a lack in longitudinal studies and constructive multilevel
intervention approaches that can be used for greater real-world impact1.

3NUTRITION TRANSITION PROGRAM TARGETED AT CHILDREN
The following program which will be developed will provide different cost-effective
strategy for the management of weight of children and it will majorly focus on the consumption
of different nutrition of the children.
Project Plan
There is a consistent nutritional transition which is going being experienced by the world
population leading to several nutritional deficiencies like anemia, and iron and zinc deficiencies.
This has also led to much nutrition related chronic diseases (NRCDs) such as weight problems,
high glucose levels, and cardiovascular issues2. According to a report, it has been estimated that
28% of children in Australia are obese. It has also been observed that children belonging to the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community have a high percentage of being obese. The
obesity problem causes numerous health issues for the children and the teenagers. It hampers the
mental and physical health3. Thus, the following program is aimed for the management of proper
nutrition consumption by the children in order to reduce the weight of the children.
Objective
Through this weight management program targeted at children, it will help in preventing
further weight gain, reduce the body weight and will help in managing a proper body weight for
over a long period of time.
Program design
The following program will be focused on children both boys and girls of the Australian
population. The participating criterion for the children is that they should be age of 2 to 6 years.

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Method
The obesity in children is generally influenced by several factors such as genetics,
metabolism, upbringing and monetary challenges. The teachers might not be able to stop the
obesity condition which is happening, but can guide both the children and the parents in the
management of several factors and teach them several ways through which weight can be
managed. The program will use different strategies such as education, nutritional, and physical
activities to help in the management of weight.
Education Strategy
There are several children and parents who have no knowledge neither awareness
regarding how a person becomes obese and there are many who do not know when to put a stop
on the consumption of excess or unnecessary food substance. Thus, it is essential for the teacher
to use their knowledge and expertise to implement healthy habits in the curriculum of the
children4. Implementing healthy lifestyle education in the curriculum will help in increasing the
knowledge of the children and make them aware regarding their health. The educators should
also hold special sessions for the parents to make them understand the health condition of their
children and also make them aware of which food is beneficial and which is harmful for their
children4.
Nutritional Strategy
It is necessary for the both the parent and the children to have a proper food which would
be balanced, healthy, rich in essential nutrients, and will be low-fat meal. Such kind of food will
help the children get appropriate amount of nutrient and fiber which is necessary for the
development of the child. This will also help the children learn the smart eating habits. It is
necessary for the teacher to make children learn the necessity of consuming healthy well-

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balanced diet with numerous types of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy, legumes, and
lean meats. It is necessary that the parents keep a track of the amount of food being consumed by
their children as overeating will increase the risk to obesity. Few sources have advised that one
portion of food involves two to three ounces of cooked poultry, lean meat, or fish. A
recommendation for the parents is that their children should not spend maximum time more than
two hours daily on the couch5. The parents should also keep a track on the amount of time spent
by the children on video games and other surfing the Internet5.
Physical Activity
Children and teenagers spend their maximum time in either kindergartens or schools.
Thus, it is very much essential that the setting should involve physical activity and it is important
that the children are encouraged to participate in physical activity. There are still several schools
in different countries along with Australia where they prioritize book education over physical
activity which ranges from 40 percent of elementary schools, 52 percent of middle schools, and
60 percent of high schools who have exempted PE classes from the regular curriculum. A report
from 2000 estimated that around 8 percent of elementary education institutes, 6.4 percent of
middle education institutes, and 5.8 percent of high schools comprised of physical education
classes in their curriculum and annually they provided physical education every day for all
classes. In 2010, a report of Healthy People recommended that all the schools should incorporate
physical education for the children and it should be encouraged for daily classes. It is important
that all schools should incorporate guidelines and policies which would ask the children to
participate in the physical education.
It is also necessary for the parents that they incorporate physical activity in the daily
lifestyle of children and limit their touch with computer or mobile games and television.

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Children participating in daily physical activity will help increase their total energy expenditure
which will support them to keep their energy in check and balanced and it will also or help to
reduce weight, as long as they do not overeat for the extra calories they burn.
Timeline
To reduce weight, a person needs time as it is a slow process. As it is said no job can be
done by taking a single step. Thus, no one should plan to drop 10 Kg in within two weeks. The
following strategies will vary depending on the age of children. The more the age of the child,
more they can understand and become aware of their condition compared to the children who are
still two or three year of age. Though, it is required that in the place of the children, their parents
should take initiative in managing the health of the children. Thus, the strategy will take around
two or three month for the parents to understand. Below is a timeline to make the program more
elaborate and understandable.
Cost effectiveness
In a research study of Rawdin, Duenas, Chilcott (2014), he researchers tried to estimate
the cost-effectiveness of a weight management program which was designed for the women to
reduce their weight gained during pregnancy. The estimated incremental cost-effectiveness ratio
(ICER) suggested that the cost-effectiveness of a weight management program at a NICE
threshold would be £20,000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) 6. In another study by
Loveman et al. (2011), it has been estimated that the cost effectiveness total 5-year UK costs
were about £200M for around 3.3 million patients, that is £60 per patient. In another study by
Iacobucci (2017), it has been estimated that after 24 months ICER was £159 per kg lost with the
52 week program. Similarly, in the same paper the cost effectiveness a 25 year period, the 52

7NUTRITION TRANSITION PROGRAM TARGETED AT CHILDREN
week program was cost-effective when compared with the brief intervention of £2493/QALY
and the 12 week program £3804/QALY.
Stakeholders
The main stakeholders of the weight management program would be community nurse,
nutrition advisor, school teachers, family members and physiotherapist. These members are very
essential in the weight management and nutrition transition program which will be targeted at the
child. They will help the child to become aware and increase their knowledge regarding their
health and will also guide the parent to help manage their child.
Evaluation
The following weight management program will be evaluated by the stakeholders and
majorly the parents in place of the children as the children are too small in regarding to their age.
Thus, they will not be able to understand clearly about what is their health condition and they
might not be much aware. Thus, the stakeholders will discuss about the outcome of the program
and will see that whether it is effective or not.
Recommendation
Thus, it can be stated that the following weight management program will be effective in
preventing further weight gain, reduce the body weight and will help in managing a proper body
weight for over a long period of time. Through this program, children will remain healthy for a
long period of time, and also this program can be implemented immediately. This is a cost
effective program since this involves teaching strategy, physical activity and managing diet thus,
it will benefit both the parents as they would not have to waste their money on unnecessary

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medicines and it will also not cause any side effects, whereas it will improve the child physically
and mentally.

9NUTRITION TRANSITION PROGRAM TARGETED AT CHILDREN
Referecnes
1. Brown AG, Esposito LE, Fisher RA, Nicastro HL, Tabor DC, Walker JR. Food insecurity
and obesity: research gaps, opportunities, and challenges. Translational Behavioral Medicine.
2019 Oct;9(5):980-7.
2. Sahoo K, Sahoo B, Choudhury AK, Sofi NY, Kumar R, Bhadoria AS. Childhood obesity:
causes and consequences. Journal of family medicine and primary care. 2015 Apr;4(2):187.
3. Healthdirect. Obesity in children [Internet]. Healthdirect.gov.au. 2018 [cited 30 January
2020]. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/obesity-in-children
4. Elrick L. A Teacher's Guide to Childhood Obesity Prevention in the Classroom | Rasmussen
College [Internet]. Rasmussen.edu. 2018 [cited 30 January 2020]. Available from:
https://www.rasmussen.edu/degrees/education/blog/obesity-prevention-in-the-classroom/
5. 3. CDC. Tips for Parents – Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy [Internet]. Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention. 2020 [cited 30 January 2020]. Available from:
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/
6. Rawdin AC, Duenas A, Chilcott JB. The cost-effectiveness of weight management
programmes in a postnatal population. Public health. 2014 Sep 1;128(9):804-10.
7. Loveman E, Frampton GK, Shepherd J, Picot J, Cooper K, Bryant J, Welch K, Clegg A. The
clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of long-term weight management schemes for
adults: a systematic review. InNIHR Health Technology Assessment programme: Executive
Summaries 2011. NIHR Journals Library.
8. Iacobucci G. A 12 month weight loss programme would be cost effective for NHS, study
finds 2017. BMJ.