Image demonstrating Active Northumberland delivers virtual weight management programme 

Active Northumberland delivers virtual weight management programme 


Active Northumberland has started a virtual weight management course, with sessions delivered over the video conferencing platform Zoom to participants across the county.

The new weight management programme has been running in Active Northumberland centres since the beginning of the year, however, with the closure of sports centres due to the coronavirus pandemic, fitness staff have introduced this new way of delivering the service to its customers.
The programme is funded by Northumberland County Council’s public health service and is open to adults who are interested in losing weight and getting fitter and healthier. It is aimed at people with a body mass index (BMI) of over 30kg/m2  who find it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.  To take part they must be referred by their GP or practice nurse.

Mark Warnes,  Acting Chief Executive of Active Northumberland, said:

“ Our participants were just a few weeks into the weight management programme at our facilities when lockdown started.  We talked through our proposal to deliver the program via a digital platform and the majority were really keen to re-engage with us and continue their education around sustaining a healthy eating plan. 

“ The initial feedback we’ve received from our first virtual sessions has been really positive and we hope we can build on this momentum until our centres can reopen.” 

The unique 12-week course called the Momenta programme has been developed by experts in the fields of nutrition, physical activity and psychology, and is based on the latest scientific evidence. The programme helps participants with busy lives to set realistic lifestyle goals, enabling them to break the cycle of dieting and fad methods of weight loss.

They also learn about the key factors that contribute to weight gain and why so many methods of ‘dieting’ fail in the long term. 

Northumberland County Councillor Veronica Jones, cabinet member for Adult Wellbeing and Health said:
 
" The programme is about helping people to understand food habits and behaviour, and also to set realistic goals to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Physical activity is a part of the wider programme and once the centres are back open again Active Northumberland staff will be helping the participants to find an exercise routine that they enjoy and which works for them.”


Anyone interested in joining the programme to reduce their weight should ask their GP or practice nurse to be referred.
For further information email enquiries@activenorthumberland.org.uk
Not sure about your BMI? You can check it by visiting: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/ 




 
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