A New Year can offer a new start - JumpStart. Ayrshire and Arran's children - aged between five and 15 - are being offered the opportunity to join NHS Ayrshire & Arran's healthy weight programme.

The programme will take place in venues in local communities from January to March. In 2009, more than 40 families from across Ayrshire used the service and benefited from the fun interactive health programme. Parents or carers must attend a two-hour session with their child once a week for ten weeks. The programme offers advice about how to eat healthily as a family, a children's activity hour and an adult discussion session.

NHS Ayrshire & Arran's Health Promotion Officer Alan Brown, who leads the programme said: "Latest statistics show that in 2008/09, almost one in five primary one children were classified as overweight. Of these more than one in ten were classed as obese or severely obese. These figures also seem to be increasing throughout the school years. The JumpStart programme aims to help families who are concerned that their child or children are or could be overweight.

"We are seeing real positive changes in both the children and the family members who have completed the programme. You can really see a change in the children, not only physically as they become more active and eat more healthily, but also in their mental health, with increased confidence and self esteem." JumpStart sessions encourage children and families to make small positive changes that help them develop a healthier lifestyle. The programme starts with a short session on healthy eating, where families discuss and learn about healthy eating through interactive activities such as the fats and sugars game and the eatwell plate. Children then take part in an hour of physical activity which includes "extreme dodge ball", "hip hop dance" and "Zig Zag wall" sessions. Older children can take part in martial arts, racquet sports and wireless dance mat sessions.

While the children are taking part in their activities, parents or carers meet to discuss healthy weight matters such as how to motivate children, eat out healthily (even at fast food outlets), weight maintenance, healthy rewards and where to get further support.

Alan also commented: "We have another 60 families starting programmes in January which is excellent, but what is really positive is that every family who has completed the programme has signed up to continue to attend the physical activity sessions of the next programme." Programmes due to start in January and February will be in the following areas: Dalmellington and Kilmarnock (five to eight year-olds) in East Ayrshire Prestwick, Girvan and Maybole in South Ayrshire Irvine, Stevenson and Largs in North Ayrshire East Ayrshire Council's children's award-winning healthy weight programme MEND (Mind Exercise Nutrition.. Do it) is running a 10-week programme for seven to 13 year-olds in Shortlees Community Centre, Kilmarnock starting 26 January.

The MEND Programme is a successful, community based intervention to prevent childhood obesity. The MEND programme is delivered free of charge to participants, using techniques developed by health experts to help seven to thirteen-year-old children who are above the healthy weight range for their age and height, and their parents or carers learn about food and discover fun ways to get fit. For more information about MEND contact Lesley Fowler, Recreation Partnership Officer on 01563 576684 or email lesley.fowler@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.

For more information on either programme - contact the JumpStart team by Writing to: JumpStart Team, Afton House, Ailsa Hospital, Ayr, KA66AB Telephoning 01292 885891 Or by e-mailing Alan at alan.brown2@aapct.scot.nhs.uk