Health promotion messages
Both nationally and on a state level there are health promotion campaigns running, providing resources and support for active lifestyles, weight loss and healthy food choices. By increasing your awareness of these programs you can utilise resources and programs that are often free of charge.
The Australian Better Health Initiative launched this social marketing campaign in October 2008. The campaign aimed to raise awareness of the role nutrition and physical activity play in reducing the risk of chronic disease. By encouraging Australians to measure their waist circumference, the campaign showed that chronic disease risk could be determined easily and not just from calculating Body Mass Index.
For more information on this campaign, visit: http://www.measureup.gov.au/
This campaign is part of the measure up campaign. It provides practical food, beverage and lifestyle ‘swaps’ using cartoon character Eric the Swapper as he worked towards leading a healthier lifestyle. Together with media advertising, the campaign has a Smartphone App that can be used to discover more swapping ideas.
To start swapping, visit: http://swapit.gov.au/
Get Set 4 Life
This interactive guide was created by the CSIRO and is provided as part of the Healthy Kids Check. It offers practical information for parents of children up to 4 years of age, ensuring that children are ready for starting school. The areas that are covered include healthy eating, physical activity, oral hygiene, language and sun protection.
To access a copy of the guide, visit: http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/Health_Kids_Check_GetSet4Life+Guide
Healthy Communities Initiative
The National Partnership Agreement on Preventative Health has provided funding to Local Government Areas to deliver community-based physical activity and nutrition programs. This also includes providing funding to for Heart Foundation Walking Groups, Beat It Program, Lift for Life and many other initiatives.
To find a program near you, visit: http://www.healthylivingnetwork.com.au/
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden
The federal government has committed to rolling out the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program in up to 190 primary schools. The program teaches children how to plant, grow,and cook fresh foods, hoping to influence health behaviour into their adult life. The program flows from the garden into the classroom with its supporting curriculum resources.
For more information on this program, visit: http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/kitchen-garden
Active After-school Communities (AASC)
AASC is a national initiative was introduced in 2009 aiming to make after school programs more active for primary school aged children. The program is currently running in 3,270 sites around Australia. These programs can be run in Out of School Hours Care Services (OSHCS), sports clubs or by volunteers. Following involvement in AASC, it is hoped that children will have the confidence to participate in organised sports.
To find an AASC near you, visit: http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/aasc
Go for 2 & 5
The national campaign was launched in 2005 and aimed to encourage children to increase their daily consumption of fruit and vegetables to 2 and 5, respectively. The campaign included mass media advertising, posters, brochures and recipe cards that suggests simple ways to add fruit and vegetable into a child’s diet.
To download the free resources, visit: http://www.gofor2and5.com.au/
This campaign was linked with the Go for 2&5 and AASC, educating parents on the importance of physical activity for children aged 0-17 years old. The campaign was run during 2006 and ran on TV, radio and the Internet. It suggested fun ways to get active including game ideas and the physical activity requirements for children.
For fun activity ideas, visit http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/getmoving
Go4Fun is a healthy lifestyle program for children aged 7 -13 years old who are above a healthy weight. Parents and children attend these two-hour programs twice a week for 10 weeks. These programs are rolled out by local health districts across NSW and often recruit local leaders to deliver program content. Each session includes a nutrition education component, fun exercises for the children and group discussion with parents around the behavioural and psychological issues associated with a healthy lifestyle.
To join a program near you, visit: https://go4fun.com.au/
Munch & Move
Munch & Move aims to build the capacity of NSW early childhood educators in teaching about physical activity, nutrition and implementing a reduction in small screen time in their centres. This is achieved through full-day training sessions run by local health districts, providing long-term support to centres in implementing positive changes. This program sits within the National Quality Framework and the Early Years Learning Framework.
To find a local training session, visit: http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/campaigns-programs/munch-move-long-day-care-and-preschool-training/training-workshop-locations-dates.aspx
Live Life Well @ School (LLW@S)
LLW@S aims to provide primary school teachers with the tools to teach about nutrition and fundamental movement skills as part of the PDHPE syllabus. This is achieved through a two-day professional development workshop that provides teaching strategies, resources and helps in creating a plan to make a whole school healthier. Following these workshops, a plan is developed to create sustainable change in the school in making the whole school a healthier environment.
For more information, visit: http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/live_life/
Jump Rope for Heart
This Heart Foundation initiative is a skipping program for children, aiming to increase their fitness levels. Children are required to skip to raise money for the Heart Foundation, teaching them valuable lessons about heart health while keeping them active.
For more information or to register your school, visit: http://www.heartfoundation.org.au/sites/jumpropeforheart/AboutUs/Pages/default.aspx