Help for big teens

Three Queenstown businesses have teamed up to support Wakatipu teens needing help to make a lifestyle change.

Lakes Leisure community and recreation programme manager Jendi Paterson said NZSki's Step Up programme was aimed at overweight children aged between 11 and 15, and would provide advice and support to help encourage "healthy living".

"It's about empowering youth to make sensible and healthy lifestyle choices and ultimately changing their current pathways to ill health.

"We are looking to create a community-based support structure which will provide ongoing assistance for these [teenagers] during their time on the programme and after, when they will need to apply all they've learned."

The 10-week course, sponsored by NZSki and Alpine Health and Fitness, would cater for a maximum of 10 teenagers and include nutritional seminars with Mandy Coddington, weekly individual personal training sessions and weekly group training sessions with Haylee Roberts, of Southern Fitness.

Ms Roberts had compiled comprehensive workbooks, in line with National Health Organisation standards, which would be given to every participant, and which would also provide a reference for future use.

Medical advice would be provided by a Queenstown GP, along with physiotherapy assistance from Body Mechanics.

Ms Paterson said an online forum would be established to encourage participants to chat to each other and provide support and assistance.

Registrations for the programme had to be made by parents of interested teens by Monday - in order for the teenagers to be successful, their parents had to engage in the process, Ms Paterson said.

"We want parents involved.

"Some of the children might be 12 years old - you can't say 'go on a diet' because your body is still changing and growing.

"That's why we've got the professionals on board ... to help them enjoy a healthy lifestyle."

Alpine Health and Fitness manager Richie Heap said the programme followed the same process as the highly successful "Big Bods", launched in 2010.

As with Big Bods, Lakes Leisure hoped to continue to run the Step Up programme - which would be provided free of charge to every participant.

• To register a child for selection in the inaugural NZSki Step Up programme, parents are asked to email either richie@lakesleisure.co.nz or jendi@lakesleisure.co.nz and explain why their child should be selected.

Successful applicants will begin the programme in mid-February.